The Gammaridean And Caprellid Amphipoda Of Southern Africa.

Abstract

It is the intention of this thesis to bring together the

existing scattered data concerning the Amphipoda of southern

Africa, to add records from unidentified collections and to

present the whole in a form that will provide a firm basis

for future work in this field.

The collections examined are principally those of the University

of Cape Town, the South African Museum and the National

Institute for Water Research. These collections are together

much larger than any previously reported from southern Africa

(in excess of 90 000 specimens from several thousand stations).

Findings are presented in a series of five regional papers.

Each paper includes brief descriptions of principal collecting

areas and their faunas and an analysis of species collected.

Station data, references and distributions are provided for

all species, while a short diagnosis is given with the first

reference to each species .

A total of 299 gammaridean and capre11id species is recognised.

One family (Temnoph1iidae), four genera (Chaka, Cunicus, Dikwa,

Janice) and 39 species are described as new to scie~ce; while

21 others are recorded from southern Africa for the first time.

Nine existing species are relegated as synonyms.

Following the five regional taxonomic papers a synoptic guide

to the benthic amphipods of the region is provided. This is

intended to provide the non-specialist with a means of identifying

his own material. A brief guide to methods of collection,

storage and examination is provided and is followed by comprehensive

fully illustrated keys to the families, genera and

species of gammaridean and capre11id Amphipoda recorded from

Africa south of 20·S, 0-100Om.

The figures cover virtually all species.inc1uding many never

before illustrated and will. hopefully reduce the need for

exhaustive knowledge of morphological. nomenclature, or of

extensive reference facilities, before identifications can be

made.

An appendix provides reference to more detailed descriptions

of each species, gives their distributions world-wide and

within southern Africa, and lists common synonyms.

A concluding chapter discusses modes of dispersal of amphipods

and possible origins of t he southern African fauna. The

region can apparently be divided into tropical, subtropical

and temperate provinces, the first two dominantly populated

by species of tropical ori gins and the third rich in endemic

forms. This pattern is paralleled in other groups such as

the polychaeta. It is concluded that although southern Africa

is rich in endemic species and genera it is not a centre for

the evolution of major taxa but rather an evolutionary outpost

where immigrant forms have evolved under reduced pressure.