Skip to main content
ZooKeys logoLink to ZooKeys
. 2026 Mar 24;1274:17–34. doi: 10.3897/zookeys.1274.141416

Stilipedidae Holmes, 1908 (Crustacea, Amphipoda) of the Clarion-Clipperton Zone

Anne Helene S Tandberg 1,2,✉, Lauren E Hughes 3
PMCID: PMC13040263  PMID: 41929861

Abstract

Two new species of the family Stilipedidae from the Clarion-Clipperton Zone in the eastern Pacific are described using integrated taxonomy. The species Alexandrella haubenisp. nov. and Astyra mclaughlinaesp. nov. are both small and dorsally smooth. The gnathopods of A. haubenisp. nov. are parachelate and those of A. mclaughlinae are subchelate.

Key words: Alexandrella , Astyra , deep-sea, North-eastern Pacific, taxonomy

Introduction

The Stilipedidae Holmes, 1908 is an infrequently sampled family of deep-sea amphipods. Distributed globally, there are currently 26 species of stilipedids from four genera Alexandrella Chevreux, 1911, Astyra Boek, 1871, Eclysis K.H. Barnard, 1932 and Stilipes Holmes, 1908 (Fig. 1). Alexandrella (Fig. 1B) is the most specious genus with 14 species, 10 of which are from the (sub)-Antarctic region (Serejo 2014; Souza-Filho et al. 2024).

Figure 1.

Figure 1.

Stilipedidae global distribution AAstyra, Alexandrella and Eclysis distribution BAlexandrella species distribution. Note that the placement of species in both maps indicate generalised areas and not specific localities.

The family has colonised all oceanic depths being recorded from 230 to 7230 m, the genus Alexandrella is among the few taxa with shallow to hadal records. There are just five other genera with such a large depth range, namely Rhachotropis S.I. Smith, 1883, Scina Prestandrea, 1833, Byblisoides K.H. Barnard, 1931, Liljeborgia Spence Bate, 1863 and Scopelocheirus Spence Bate, 1857 (based on identified and taxonomically described taxa) (Lörz 2010; Lacey et al. 2016; Jamieson and Weston 2023).

At the family level, only 12 of the over 230 described amphipod families have taxonomically described species in shallow to hadal records include Ampeliscidae Krøyer, 1842, Atylidae Lilljeborg, 1865, Eusiridae Stebbing, 1888, Ischyroceridae Stebbing, 1899, Liljeborgidae Stebbing, 1899, Lysianassidae Dana, 1849, Maeridae Krapp-Schickel, 2008, Pardaliscidae Boeck, 1871, Pontogeneiidae Stebbing, 1906, Phoxocephalidae G.O. Sars, 1891, Scinidae Stebbing, 1888 and Scopelocheiridae Lowry & Stoddart, 1997 (Lörz 2010; Lacey et al. 2016; Jamieson and Weston 2023).

The genus Astyra with just six described species, is similarly known from an impressive shallow to bathyal depths, 260–4000 m. Collection records are also from extremely disparate locations globally, namely east Greenland, Norway, West Africa, Kamchatka and the Antarctic. The current species is the first North-eastern Pacific, the most tropical and the deepest record in the genus Astyra.

Prior to this study there was just one species of Stilipedidae, Stilipes distinctus Holmes, 1908, known from the eastern Pacific. Five of the 26 species of Stilipedidae are well collected, being regularly sampled globally in marine surveys in the Northern Hemisphere (Astyra abyssi Boeck, 1871 and S. distinctus Boek, 1871) and in the Southern Hemisphere (A. martae Berge & Vader, 2005, A. subchelata Holman & Watling, 1983, E. similis K.H. Barnard, 1932) (Berge and Vader 2005) (Fig. 1).

Revisions of the family have been given by Holman and Watling (1983), who included Astyrinae Pirlot, 1934 (previously family Astyridae) as a subfamily of Stilipedidae, and later by Berge and Vader (2005) who contested this classification. d’Udekem d’Acoz and Verheye (2017) examined the Antarctic species of the family StilipedidaesensuHolman and Watling (1983), and found no reason for not including Astyrinae as a subfamily of Stilipedidae; this is the currently accepted taxonomy (Horton et al. 2024). Alexandrella haubeni sp. nov. is only the fourth species in the genus recorded outside southern polar waters, while Astyra mclaughlinae sp. nov. extends the distribution of the genus to the Pacific Ocean and to greater depths, showing Astyra to be a remarkably cosmopolitan genus.

Materials and methods

The material for the present study was sampled in the central-east Pacific, specifically in the easternmost sector of Clarion-Clipperton Zone (CCZ). The material was collected with epibenthic sledge (EBS) during two scientific deep-sea cruises: the ABYSSLINE-2 (ABYSSal baseLINE project) in 2015 and the MANGAN in 2016. For details of gear deployment and sample processing see Jażdżewska and Horton (2026) and Jażdżewska et al. (2025).

Individuals were initially examined using either a Leica M125 or a Nikon SMZ800 stereomicroscope. The habitus of Alexandrella haubeni sp. nov. is presented as a stereomicroscope photograph from a Leica M125, and the habitus for Astyra mclaughlinae sp. nov. is presented as a photograph obtained with a confocal laser scanning microscope (CLSM). This holotype was stained in Congo red and acid fuchsin, temporarily mounted onto slides with glycerin and examined with a Leica TCS SPV equipped with a Leica DM5000 B upright microscope and three visible-light lasers (DPSS 10 mW 561 nm; HeNe 10 mW 633 nm; Ar 100 mW 458, 476, 488 and 514 nm), combined with the software LAS AF 2.2.1 (Leica Application Suite, Advanced Fluorescence). A series of photographic stacks were obtained, collecting overlapping optical sections throughout the whole preparation (Michels and Büntzow 2010; Kamanli et al. 2017). The specimens were then dissected and mounted on permanent slides using polyvinyl-lactophenol containing lignin pink. All slides were examined using a Nikon Eclipse Ci compound microscope equipped with a camera lucida. Pencil drawings from the microscope were used as the basis for line drawings. The drawings were inked with Adobe Illustrator CC2024 following the recommendations of Coleman (2003, 2009).

In the figures the following abbreviations were used: A1, 2 = antenna 1, 2; UL = upper lip (labrum); LL = lower lip (labium); Md = mandible; Mx1, 2 = maxilla 1, 2; Mxp = maxilliped; C1–4 = coxa 1–4; G1, 2 = gnathopod 1, 2; P3–7 = pereopod 3–7; Pl1–3 = pleopod 1–3; U1–3 = uropod 1–3; T = telson, UR = urosomite, L = left, R = right.

The registered type material is deposited in the Senckenberg Museum (Frankfurt, Germany) (SMF).

All individuals were subjected to cytochrome c oxidase subunit I gene (COI) barcoding prior to identification of the species. The molecular procedures are described in Jażdżewska et al. (2025). The sequences were deposited in GenBank with the accession numbers PQ734654 and PQ734740. The Relevant voucher information, taxonomic classifications and sequences are deposited in the data set “DS-AMPHICCZ” in the Barcode of Life Data System (BOLD) (https://doi.org/10.5883/DS-AMPHICCZ) (http://www.boldsystems.org) (Ratnasingham and Hebert 2007). After COI sequencing, the BOLD Barcode Index Numbers (BIN) (Ratnasingham and Hebert 2013) were used to genetically identify separate species, and undescribed species in the material were morphologically described.

Results

Systematics section

Genus. Alexandrella

Chevreux, 1911

D370F8C0-9506-55BA-BE51-3FABEBF1526C

Generic remarks.

The genus Alexandrella is thoroughly treated taxonomically by d’Udekem d’Acoz and Verheye (2017), who synonymised Bathypanoploea Shellenberg, 1939 and Astyroides Birstein & Vinogradova, 1960 with Alexandrella and include four still undescribed Antarctic species of Alexandrella in a key to all Antarctic and sub-Antarctic Alexandrella. These decisions were based on a combination of morphology and genetic information, and they gave no new formal diagnosis to the genus, but rather they still leant on the diagnosis from Barnard (1969). Recently, Souza-Filho et al. (2024) described a deep-sea Alexandrella from northeastern Brazil, and this is the only addition since d’Udekem d’Acoz and Verheye (2017). See Souza-Filho et al. (2024) for a diagnosis of the genus.

Alexandrella haubeni sp. nov.

0E7519DF-8E81-585D-91CD-43B0302D8879

https://zoobank.org/E73E6186-A005-4931-9BE4-3771186E5DD4

Figs 2, 3, 4, 5

Figure 2.

Figure 2.

Habitus of Alexandrella haubeni sp. nov., SMF 63340. Scale bar: 1 mm.

Figure 3.

Figure 3.

Antenna 1 and mouthparts of Alexandrella haubeni sp. nov., SMF 63340 Scale bars: 0.1 mm.

Figure 4.

Figure 4.

Gnathopods 1–2, pereopods 3–4 of Alexandrella haubeni sp. nov., SMF 63340 Scale bars: 0.1 mm.

Figure 5.

Figure 5.

Pereopods 5–7, uropods and telson of Alexandrella haubeni sp. nov., SMF 63340 Scale bars: 0.1 mm.

Etymology.

Named for Lawrence Hauben, who illustrated amphipods of the North-eastern Pacific off California in the 1960s for Jerry Barnard.

Type material.

Holotype: Pacific Ocean • SMF 63340; 1 ♂, 3 mm; Clarion-Clipperton Zone; BGR exploration contract area; R/V Kilo Moana, MANGAN 2016, EBS, Ma 16-28, 01/05/2016; 11.828, −117.005; depth 4143 m; COI: PQ734654.

Diagnosis.

Labrum asymmetrically lobed. Mandibular incisors broad, irregularly toothed, right lacinia mobilis toothed and not reduced. Gnathopods 1 and 2 parachelate. No dorsal carina or projections, marked dorsal bose on pereonite 1.

Description.

Head. Rostrum weakly developed, eyes unknown. Body smooth without dorsal projections. Antenna 1 peduncle article 1 subequal to articles 2 and 3 combined; flagellum with 10 segments; accessory flagellum, 1-articulate, length 3 times breadth, with single apical setae. Antenna 2 (broken). Upper lip as long as broad, asymmetrically lobed, right lobe much larger than left. Mandible well developed, incisors broad, serrate; right lacinia mobilis broad, serrate; accessory setae row with 5 setae; molar present, raised conical, not triturative; palp 3-articulate; article 2 longer than 3, with 2 distal setae; article 3 with marginal setal row and long apical setae. Lower lip lost in dissection. Maxilla 1 inner plate large, lined with 8 plumose setae; outer plate broad, with 8 cuspidate setal teeth; palp 1-articulate (see also other authors illustrations), distally broad, length 1.5 times width, with 7 short, broad robust setae. Maxilla 2 inner plate 1.5 times width of outer plate, margin with long slender simple setae; outer plate margin with long slender plumose setae. Maxilliped inner plate without setae; outer plate broad, margins weakly convex, inner margin lined with 7 short robust setae increasing in length, outer margin lined with minute setules; palp 4-articulate, short, length 0.66 times outer plate, with few setae; dactylus recurved with single medial tooth.

Pereon. Gnathopods 1 and 2 similar, parachelate. Gnathopod 1 coxa anterodistally produced, broadly rounded, coxa partially covering the head; carpus rectilinear, broader than propodus, length 1.8 times breadth; propodus posterior margin with a few long setae; dactylus 0.6 times length of the propodus, weakly recurved with unguis present. Gnathopod 2 coxa anterior and posterior margins straight, ventral margin rounded; carpus rectilinear, broader than propodus, posterodistally produced, length twice breadth; dactylus length 0.8 times propodus, weakly recurved with unguis present. Pereopods 3–4 similar in length. Pereopod 3 coxa margins parallel, ventral margin convex, length 2.5 times width. Pereopod 4 coxa posterior lobe acute. Pereopods 5–7 similar: coxae small as normal for genus, bases posteriorly convex with small acute posterior lobes, merus with parallel margins (all broken above carpus).

Pleon. Pleonites 1–3 without dorsal carina; epimera 1–3 unknown. Urosomite 1 with dorsal bose (a deep excavation medially), without carina. Urosomites 2 and 3 dorsally smooth, without carina. Uropod 1 subequal to uropod 2; biramous, rami subequal. Uropod 2 inner ramus length 0.6 times of outer ramus. Uropod 3 peduncle short, broader than long; rami subequal (one ramus broken in dissection and not drawn). Telson as long as broad, lobes apically convex, cleft 0.25 times length, with pair of subapical setules.

Remarks.

Alexandrella haubeni sp. nov. is most similar to Alexandrella subchelata Holman & Watling, 1983 and Alexandrella setosa Serejo, 2014 with both the gnathopods 1 and 2 subchelate to parachelate, as all other Alexandrella have the gnathopods 1 and 2 simple. Alexandrella haubeni sp. nov. is distinguished by the lack of carina on the dorsal body margin and having only 7 robust setae on the maxilla 1 palp, while both A. subchelata and A. setosa have carinae present on the pleonites and urosome and more than 20 robust setae on the maxilla 1 palp.

Molecular identification.

The species has received a Barcode Index Number from Barcode of Life Data Systems: BOLD:AEA9764 (https://doi.org/10.5883/BOLD:AEA9764).

Genus. Astyra

Boek, 1871

5CA98D46-8D45-5096-B6F6-EEEFA5E0EAF5

Generic remarks.

Andres (1997) discussed the taxonomy of the subfamily Astyrinae, and d’Udekem d’Acoz and Verheye (2017) also gave a taxonomic overview of the genus. A diagnosis is found in Barnard and Karaman (1991) and was discussed and updated by Andres (1997). The subfamily Astyrinae (Pirlot, 1934) was previously classified as the family Astyridae (Pirlot 1934; Coleman and Barnard 1991; Berge and Vader 2005) and then as a subfamily of Stilipedidae (Holman and Watling 1987; Barnard and Karaman 1991), which is the curently accepted classification containing the genera Astyra and Eclysis (Horton et al. 2024).

Astyra mclaughlinae sp. nov.

3EF56623-8696-5D94-9A9A-BD946B779A92

https://zoobank.org/A675B4C2-5065-4883-AE01-BF14609E20F4

Figs 6, 7, 8, 9

Figure 6.

Figure 6.

Habitus of Astyra mclaughlinae sp. nov., SMF 63341 Scale bar: 1 mm.

Figure 7.

Figure 7.

Mouthparts of Astyra mclaughlinae sp. nov., SMF 63341 Scale bars: 0.1 mm.

Figure 8.

Figure 8.

Gnathopods 1–2, pereopods 3–4 of Astyra mclaughlinae sp. nov., SMF 63341 Scale bars: 0.1 mm.

Figure 9.

Figure 9.

Pereopods 5–7, uropods and telson of Astyra mclaughlinae sp. nov., SMF 63341 Scale bars: 0.1 mm.

Etymology.

Named for Mrs D. McLaughlin who illustrated amphipods of the North-eastern Pacific off California in the 1960s for Jerry Barnard.

Type material.

Holotype: Pacific Ocean • SMF 63341; 1 ♀, 4 mm; Clarion-Clipperton Zone; UKSR-1 exploration contract area, R/V Thompson, ABYSSLINE-2, EBS, AB2-EB01, 18/02/2015; 12.367, −116.55; depth 4209 m; COI: PQ734740.

Diagnosis.

Rostrum short, antenna 1 medium length (as long as head and first 5 pereonites combined). Strongly elevated ridge on outer face of bases of P5 and P6 (not on P7). Mandible molar scullcap-like, mandible molar article 2 slightly longer than article 3.

Description.

Head shorter than pereonites 1 and 2 together; rostrum weakly developed, lateral cephalic lobe subacute; eyes unknown. Body smooth without projections on dorsal margin. Antenna 1 peduncle article 1 subequal to articles 2 and 3 combined; flagellum with more than 26 articles; accessory flagellum 1-articulate (width not observable). Antenna 2 length subequal to antennae 1, flagellum with more than 49 articles. Upper lip lost in dissection. Mandible well developed, incisors broad, serrate; right lacinia mobilis broad, serrate with 5 serrations, accessory setae row with 9 setae; molar a slightly rised curve (scullcap-like); mandibular palp 3-articulate; article 2 longer than 3, with margin with few setae; article 3 with marginal setal row and long apical setae. Lower lip inner margin sinusoidal, lined with rows of setae. Maxilla 1 inner plate well developed, lined with 6 plumose setae; outer plate broad, with 11 cuspidate setal teeth; palp 2-articulate, distally broad, length 2.1 times width, with 5 short, broad robust setae. Maxilla 2 inner plate 0.7 times width of outer plate, margin with 2 rows of plumose setae; outer plate margin with long slender plumose setae. Maxilliped inner plate with apical and lateral setae; outer plate broad with sparse facial setules, inner margin straight, lined with 9 short robust setae slightly increasing in length distally, outer margin weakly convex and smooth; palp 4-articulate, long, length 1.4 times outer plate, with few setae; dactylus slightly recurved with 5 medial teeth.

Pereon. Gnathopod 1 and 2 similar, subchelate, gnathopod 2 slightly larger than gnathopod 1. Gnathopod 1 coxa anterodistally produced, broadly rounded; carpus subtriangular, broader than propodus, length 1.8 times width; propodus posterior margin with rows of plumose setae, palm subacute, minutely serrate, defined by four robust setae; dactylus length 0.4 times propodus, weakly recurved, unguis present, posterior margin with 8 teeth. Gnathopod 2 coxa anterior margin straight, ventrally rounded; carpus rectilinear, broader than propodus, posterodistally produced, length 1.7 times width; propodus posterior margin with rows of plumose setae, palm subacute, minutely serrate, define by 5 robust setae; dactylus length 0.4 propodus, weakly recurved, unguis present, margin with 8 teeth. Pereopods 3–4 broken. Pereopod 3 coxa margins subparallel, ventral margin convex and slightly prodced ventrally, length 2.2 times width. Pereopod 4 coxa posterior lobe acute. Pereopods 5–6 similar in shape of basis, both with a strong elevated ridge on the outer face of the bases, anterior and posterior margins slightly curved, but paralell, very small posterior lobe. The basis of pereopod 7 does not have an elevated ridge, posterior margin strait, wide and square posterior lobe. (Pereopods 5–7 were broken distally).

Pleon. Pleonites 1–3 without dorsal carina; epimera 1 posteriorly rounded; epimera 2 and 3 posteriorly subquadrate. Urosomite 1–3 without dorsal bose or carina. Uropod 1 subequal to uropod 2; biramous, rami subequal. Uropod 2 biramous, rami subequal. Uropod 3 peduncle short, almost as broad as long; inner ramus length 0.8 times outer ramus. Telson slightly longer than broad, lobes apically subacute, cleft 0.66 times length, without apical setules.

Remarks.

Astyra mclaughlinae sp.nov. is most smimilar to the cold-water species Astyra abyssi Boeck, 1871 (Boreal–North Atlantic) and Astyra antarctica Andres, 1997 (Antarctic–Weddell Sea), who both have mandibular palp article 3 slightly shorter than article 2, and the ornamentation of the outer plate of the maxilliped but differs from both these species in the longer maxilliped palp. Astyra mclaughlinae is distinguished from A. antarctica by its elevated ridges on the bases of pereopods 5 and 6, and from A. abyssi by not having an elevated ridge on the basis of pereopod 7. Astyra mclaughlinae has a mandibular molar that is close to the molar of A. antarctica, also distinguishing it from all other Astyrinae.

Molecular identification.

The species has received a Barcode Index Number from Barcode of Life Data Systems: BOLD:AEA9765 (https://doi.org/10.5883/BOLD:AEA9765).

Discussion

There are six species in Astyra according to Horton et al. (2024), and a seventh species, Astyra longidactyla Pirlot, 1934, is mentioned both by Barnard and Karaman (1991) and Andres (1997) but seems to have been since forgotten. Including A. longidactyla, the genus count of species reaches eight with Astyra mclaughlinae sp. nov. Andres (1997) considered the separation of Astyra and the monotypic genus Eclysis to be “inadequate” without further studies of more Antarctic material, and while stating that the genus Astyra needs a thorough re-evaluation, no formal classification changes were suggested. We agree in Andres’ consideration of Astyra as a genus in need of taxonomic work, and regret that also we are not able to do that in the scope of the present work. The morphology of the genus is very variable, and the unstable taxonomic history underscores the confusion this taxon has brought to many good amphipodologists.

Two Astyra species are described from Kamchatka region, one from each side of the North Atlantic (Davis Strait and the Norwegian Sea), one off West Africa, and one off Elephant Island near the Antarctic Peninsula. Astyra mclaughlinae sp. nov. is the third Astyra from subtropical waters and the first from the central Pacific Ocean.

Due to the still unsettled state of Astyrinae with the discussion on the separation of Astyra and Eclysis, we here present only a key to world species of Alexandrella—adapted from d’Udekem d’Acoz and Verheye (2017) and Souza-Filho et al. (2024)—and sadly no key to Astyra.

Key to world species of Alexandrella

1 Pereonite 7 with a strong dorsal pointed carina 2
– Pereonite 7 dorsally smooth 6
2 Article 1 of peduncle of antenna 1 with short dorsomedial tooth; dactylus of pereopods 3–4 long; posteroventral border of coxa 4 straight or nearly so 3
– Article 1 of peduncle of antenna 1 with long dorsomedial tooth; dactylus of pereopods 3–4 short; posteroventral border of coxa 4 strongly concave 4
3 Telson 0.37 cleft Alexandrella schellenbergi (Holman & Watling, 1983)
– Telson 0.2 cleft or less Alexandrella pulchra Ren in Ren & Huang, 1991
4 Anteroventral lobe of head moderately developed, triangular or bluntly triangular; dorsal carina of pleonite 3 with straight profile; posterodistal corner of basis of pereopod 6 broadly rounded 5
– Anteroventral lobe of head very strong, hemi-elliptic; dorsal carina of pleonite 3 with distinctly sigmoid profile; posterodistal corner of basis of pereopod 6 forming a blunt squared angle Alexandrella chione d’Udekem d’Acoz & Verheye, 2017
5 Pereonite 6 with small posterodorsal carina; crest of urosomite 1 with long posterior tooth with sinous dorsal edge and deep posterior notch Alexandrella australis (Chilton, 1912)
– Pereonite 6 without posterodorsal carina (Pereonite 7 with small, triangular and sharp carina; crest of urosomite 1 with small posterior carina with flat dorsal edge and small posterior notch Alexandrella carinata (Birstein & Vinogradov, 1960)
6 Telson truncate, notched or cleft but not convex 7
– Telson convex and entire (carina of urosomite 1 compact, not elongate) Alexandrella polarsterni (Berge & Vader, 2005)
7 Gnathopods 1–2 subchelate or parachelate 8
– Gnathopods 1–2 simple 10
8 Pleonites 1–2 weak or no dorsal ridge, pleonite 3 may or may not have a dorsal ridge/carina or tooth 9
– Pleonites 1–3 with a dorsal well-developed pointed carina, gnathopods 1–2 densely setose Alexandrella setosa Serejo, 2014
9 Pleonites 1–2 with a weak dorsal ridge; pleonite 3 with a low sharply toothed carina; gnathopods 1–2 lacking facial seta Alexandrella subchelata Holman & Watling, 1983
– Pleonites 1–3 with very weak or no dorsal ridge, urosomite 1 with rounded hump after notch; gnathopods 1–2 with few facial setae Alexandrella haubeni sp. nov.
10 Pleonites 1–3 strongly toothed; female pereopod 1 with oostegite 11
– Pleonites 1–3 weakly toothed or absent; female pereopod 1 without oostegite 12
11 Right mandible with lacinia mobilis reduced to a simple tooth Alexandrella mandibulata Berge & Vader, 2005
– Right mandible with lacinia mobilis broad and toothed, but smaller than left one Alexandrella martae Berge and Vader, 2005
12 Mandibular incisors not toothed along the entire margin; antennae 1–2 subequal in length 13
– Mandibular incisors toothed along the entire margin; antenna 1 shorter than antenna 2 14
13 Pereonites 1–7 with a pair of lateral triangular teeth Alexandrella dentata Chevreux, 1912
– Pereonites 1–7 smooth Alexandrella mixta Nicholls, 1938 s.l.
14 Mandible right lacinia mobilis absent; epimeron 3 posteroventral corner rounded; telson entire Alexandrella inermis Bellan-Santini & Ledoyer, 1987
– Mandible right lacinia mobilis present and well developed; epimeron 3 postero-ventral corner pointed; telson cleft Alexandrella cedrici Souza-Filho et al., 2024.

Supplementary Material

XML Treatment for Alexandrella
XML Treatment for Alexandrella haubeni
XML Treatment for Astyra
XML Treatment for Astyra mclaughlinae

Acknowledgements

UK Seabed Resources Ltd. and Bundesanstalt für Geowissenschaften und Rohstoffe (German Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources) are thanked for providing the research material published here. Furthermore, the authors wish to thank the chief scientists, scientific teams and crews of the ABYSSLINE-2 and MANGAN 2016 expeditions for their assistance in collecting the material. We would like to extend a special thank you to Dr Terue Cristina Kihara (Ines Solutions, Germany) for her help during CLSM photograph preparations. Thanks are also due to Karolina Biniek (University of Lodz) and Jarosław Brodecki (University of Lodz) for their help in CLSM pictures’ post-processing. This is publication number 78 that uses data from the Senckenberg am Meer Confocal Laserscanning Microscope Facility (SGN-SaM-cLSM). This is SOSA publication 57.

Citation

Tandberg AHS, Hughes LE (2026) Stilipedidae Holmes, 1908 (Crustacea, Amphipoda) of the Clarion-Clipperton Zone. In: Jażdżewska AM (Ed.) New deep-sea Amphipoda from Clarion-Clipperton Zone. ZooKeys 1274: 17–34. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1274.141416

Additional information

Conflict of interest

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Ethical statement

No ethical statement was reported.

Funding

The ABYSSLINE-2 cruise was funded by UK Seabed Resources Ltd. The MANGAN 2016 cruise was funded by the BGR (Bundesanstalt für Geowissenschaften und Rohstoffe – German Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources). This research was supported by the International Seabed Authority’s Sustainable Sea­bed Knowledge Initiative: One Thousand Reasons Campaign (co-financed by the Euro­pean Maritime and Fisheries Fund of the European Union, Project 101071214 — SSKI-I — EMFAF-2021-ISA-SSKI-IBA). The funding was given to A.M.Jażdżewska to organise a taxonomic workshop devoted to describing new species from the CCZ (at the Department of Inver­tebrate Zoology and Hydrobiology, University of Lodz). AHST received funding from the Norwegian Biodiversity Information Centre (NBIC project 16-18-70184240).

Author contributions

Conceptualization: AHST, LEH. Data curation: LEH, AHST. Formal analysis: AHST, LEH. Investigation: LEH, AHST. Visualization: LEH, AHST. Writing - original draft: AHST, LEH. Writing - review and editing: LEH, AHST.

Author ORCIDs

Anne Helene S. Tandberg https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3470-587X

Lauren E. Hughes https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5679-1732

Data availability

All of the data that support the findings of this study are available in the main text.

References

  1. Andres HG (1997) First record of the taxon Astyra Boeck, 1871 from Antarctica (Crustacea, Gammaridea). Mitteilungen aus den Hamburgischen Zoologischen Museum und Institut 94: 81–89.
  2. Barnard KH (1931) Diagnosis of new genera and species of amphipod Crustacea collected during the ‘Discovery’ investigations, 1925–1927. Annals and Magazine of Natural History (Series 10) 7(40): 425–430. 10.1080/00222933108673327 [DOI]
  3. Barnard KH (1932) Amphipoda. Discovery Reports 5: 1–326. 10.5962/bhl.part.27664 [DOI]
  4. Barnard JL (1969) The families and genera of marine gammaridean Amphipoda. Bulletin - United States National Museum 271: i–vi, 1–535. 10.5479/si.03629236.258.1 [DOI]
  5. Barnard JL, Karaman G (1991) The families and genera of marine gammaridean Amphipoda (except marine gammaroids). Records of the Australian Museum 13(1–2): 1–866. 10.3853/j.0812-7387.13.1991.367 [DOI]
  6. Bate CS (1857) A synopsis of the British edriophthalmous Crustacea. Part I. Amphipoda. The Annals and Magazine of Natural History (Series 2) 19: 135–152. 10.1080/00222935708697715 [DOI]
  7. Bate CS (1863) Catalogue of the Specimens of Amphipodous Crustacea in the Collection of the British Museum. British Museum Natural History, London, i–iv + 1–399. [pls 1–58]
  8. Bellan-Santini D, Ledoyer M (1987) Gammariens (Crustacea, Amphipoda) des îles Marion et Prince Edward. Campagne MD 08 du M. S. “Marion Dufresne” en 1976. Bollettino del Museo Civico di Storia Naturale di Verona 13: 349–435.
  9. Berge J, Vader W (2005) The amphipod genus Alexandrella (Amphipoda, Stilipedidae): Taxonomic status, allometric growth and description of two new species. Journal of Natural History 39(17): 1327–1346. 10.1080/00222930400015566 [DOI]
  10. Birstein YA, Vinogradova NG (1960) Bottom ultra-abyssal Gammaridea of the north-western part of the Pacific Ocean. I. Families Lilljeborgiidae, Astyridae, Lepechinellidae, Gammaridae. Trudy instituta okeanologii. Akademi nauk SSSR 34: 147–164.
  11. Boeck A (1871) Crustacea amphipoda borealia et arctica. Forhandlinger i Videnskabs-Selskabet i Christiania 1870: 83–280. 10.5962/bhl.title.2056 [DOI]
  12. Chevreux E (1911) Sur les amphipodes des expéditions antarctiques françaises. Comptes Rendus de l’Académie des Sciences 153: 1166–1168. 10.5962/bhl.part.12888 [DOI]
  13. Chevreux E (1912) Deuxième expédition dans l’Antarctique, dirigée par le Dr. Charcot, 1908–1910. Diagnoses d’amphipodes nouveaux. Bulletin du Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle 18(4): 208–218. https://biostor.org/reference/132222
  14. Chevreux E (1913) Amphipodes. In: Deuxième Expédition Antarctique Française (1908–1910) Commandée par le Dr Jean Charcot, Sciences Naturelles: Documents Scientifiques, Extrait. Masson et Cie, Paris, 79–186.
  15. Chilton C (1912) The Amphipoda of the Scottish National Antarctic Expedition (reprinted from The Transactions of the Royal Society of Edinburgh). Report on the Scientific Results of the Voyage of S.Y. 48: 455–520. 10.1017/S0080456800002957 [DOI]
  16. Coleman CO (2003) “Digital inking”: How tomake perfect line drawings on computers. Organisms, Diversity & Evolution 3(4): 303–304. 10.1078/1439-6092-00081 [DOI]
  17. Coleman CO (2009) Drawing setae the digital way. Zoosystematics and Evolution 85(2): 305–310. 10.1002/zoos.200900008 [DOI]
  18. Coleman CO, Barnard JL (1991) Revision of Iphimediidae and similar families (Amphipoda: Gammaridea). Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington 104: 253–268. https://biostor.org/reference/85776
  19. d’Udekem d’Acoz C, Verheye ML (2017) Epimeria of the Southern Ocean with notes on their relatives (Crustacea, Amphipoda, Eusiroidea). European Journal of Taxonomy 359(359): 1–553. 10.5852/ejt.2017.359 [DOI]
  20. Dana JD (1849) Synopsis of the genera of Gammaracea. American Journal of Science and Arts (Series 2) 8: 135–140.
  21. Holman H, Watling L (1983) A revision of the Stilipedidae (Amphipoda). Crustaceana 44(1): 29–53. 10.1163/156854083X00037 [DOI]
  22. Holmes SJ (1908) The Amphipoda collected by the U.S. Bureau of Fisheries Steamer “Albatross” off the West Coast of North America, in 1903 and 1904, with descriptions of a new family and several new genera and species. Proceedings of the United States National Museum 35(1654): 489–543. 10.5479/si.00963801.35-1654.489 [DOI]
  23. Horton T, Lowry J, De Broyer C, Bellan-Santini D, Copilas-Ciocianu D, Corbari L, Costello MJ, Daneliya M, Dauvin J-C, Fišer C, Gasca R, Grabowski M, Guerra-García JM, Hendrycks E, Hughes L, Jaume D, Jazdzewski K, Kim Y-H, King R, Krapp-Schickel T, LeCroy S, Lörz A-N, Mamos T, Senna AR, Serejo C, Souza-Filho JF, Tandberg AH, Thomas JD, Thurston M, Vader W, Väinölä R, Valls Domedel G, Vonk R, White K, Zeidler W (2024) World Amphipoda Database. Stilipedidae Holmes, 1908. https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=176940 [Accessed on: 2024-10- 31]
  24. Jamieson AJ, Weston JNJ (2023) Amphipoda from depths exceeding 6,000 meters revisited 60 years on. Journal of Crustacean Biology 43(2): ruad020. 10.1093/jcbiol/ruad020 [DOI]
  25. Jażdżewska AM, Biniek K, Martínez Arbizu P, Vink A (2025) Hidden behind the scene – high diversity, low connectivity of deep-sea Amphipoda in the polymetallic nodule fields in the Northeast Pacific, EGUsphere. [preprint] 10.5194/egusphere-2025-1794 [DOI]
  26. Jażdżewska AM, Horton T (2026) New deep-sea Amphipoda from the Clarion-Clipperton Zone: 24 new species described under the Sustainable Seabed Knowledge Initiative: One Thousand Reasons campaign. In: Jażdżewska AM (Ed.) New deep-sea Amphipoda from Clarion-Clipperton Zone. ZooKeys 1274: 1–16. 10.3897/zookeys.1274.176711 [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed]
  27. Kamanli SA, Kihara TC, Ball AD, Morritt D, Clark PF (2017) A 3D imaging and visualization workflow, using confocal microscopy and advanced image processing for brachyuran crab larvae. Journal of Microscopy 266(3): 307–323. 10.1111/jmi.12540 [DOI] [PubMed]
  28. Krapp-Schickel T (2008) What has happened with the Maera-clade (Crustacea, Amphipoda) during the last decades? Bolletino del Museo di Storia Naturale di Verona. Botanica Zoologia 32: 3–32.
  29. Krøyer H (1842) Nye nordiske slægter og arter af amfipodernes orden, henhørende til familien Gammarina. (Forelobigt uddrag af et større arbejde). Naturhistorisk Tidsskrift Ser. I. 4: 141–16.
  30. Lacey NC, Rowden AA, Clark MR, Kilgallen NM, Linley T, Mayor DJ, Jamieson AJ (2016) Community structure and diversity of scavenging amphipods from bathyal to hadal depths in three South Pacific Trenches. Deep-sea Research. Part I, Oceanographic Research Papers 111: 121–137. 10.1016/j.dsr.2016.02.014 [DOI]
  31. Lilljeborg W (1865) On the Lysianassa magellanica H. Milne Edwards and on the Crustacea of the suborder Amphipoda and subfamily Lysianassina found on the coast of Sweden and Norway. Royal Academic Press, Uppsala, 38 pp. [5 pls] 10.5962/bhl.title.6806 [DOI]
  32. Lörz AN (2010) Deep-sea Rhachotropis (Crustacea: Amphipoda: Eusiridae) from New Zealand and the Ross Sea with key to the Pacific, Indian Ocean and Antarctic species. Zootaxa 2482(1): 22–48. 10.11646/zootaxa.2482.1.2 [DOI]
  33. Lowry JK, Stoddart HE (1997) AmphipodaCrustacea IV. Families Aristiidae, Cyphocarididae, Endevouridae, Lysianassidae, Scopelocheiridae, Uristidae. Memoirs of the Hourglass Cruises 10(1): 1–148.
  34. Michels J, Büntzow M (2010) Assessment of Congo red as a fluorescence marke for the exoskeleton of small crustaceans and the cuticle of polychaetes. Journal of Microscopy 238(2): 95–101. 10.1111/j.1365-2818.2009.03360.x [DOI] [PubMed]
  35. Nicholls GE (1938) AmphipodaGammaridea. Scientific Reports. Australasian Antarctic Expedition 1911–14. Series C. Zoology and Botany 2(4): 1–145.
  36. Pirlot JM (1934) Les Amphipodes de l’Expédition du Siboga. E.J. Brill, Leiden, 78 pp.
  37. Prestandrea N (1833) Su di alcuni nuovi crustacei dei mari di Messina. Effemeridi Scientifiche e Letterarie per La Sicilia 6: 3–14.
  38. Ratnasingham S, Hebert PDN (2007) bold: The Barcode of Life Data System (http://www.barcodinglife.org). Molecular Ecology Notes 7(3): 355–364. 10.1111/j.1471-8286.2007.01678.x [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed]
  39. Ratnasingham S, Hebert PDN (2013) A DNA-Based Registry for All Animal Species: The Barcode Index Number (BIN) System. PLoS ONE 8(7): e66213. 10.1371/journal.pone.0066213 [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed]
  40. Ren X, Huang L (1991) Studies on gammaridea and caprellidea (Crustacea: Amphipoda) from the northwest waters off the Antarctic Peninsula. Studia Marina Sinica 32: 185–323.
  41. Sars GO (1891) An account of the Crustacea of Norway, with short descriptions and figures of all the species. Volume I Amphipoda. Alb Cammermeyer, Christiania, 1–720 [248 pls]
  42. Schellenberg A (1939) Amphipoden des Kongo-Mundungsgebietes. Revue de Zoologie et de Botanique Africaines 32(1): 122–138.
  43. Serejo C (2014) A new species of Stilipedidae (Amphipoda: Senticaudata) from the south Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Zootaxa 3852(1): 133–140. 10.11646/zootaxa.3852.1.6 [DOI]
  44. Smith SI (1883) Review of the marine Crustacea of Labrador. Proceedings of the United Sta­tes National Museum 6(375): 223–232. 10.5479/si.00963801.375.223 [DOI]
  45. Souza-Filho JF, Guedes-Silva E, Andrade LF (2024) Four new species and two new records of deep-sea Amphipoda (Crustacea: Peracarida) from Potiguar Basin, north-eastern Brazil. Journal of Natural History 58(41–44): 1615–1655. 10.1080/00222933.2024.2374404 [DOI]
  46. Stebbing TRR (1888) Report on the Amphipoda collected by H.M.S. Challenger during the years 1873–1876. In: Report on the Scientific Results of the Voyage of H.M.S. Challenger During the Years 1873–76. Zoology 29(67): i–xxiv, 1–1737. [pls 1–212]
  47. Stebbing TRR (1899) Revision of Amphipoda (continued). Annals and Magazine of Natural History (Series 7) 4: 205–211. 10.1080/00222939908678185 [DOI]
  48. Stebbing TRR (1906) Amphipoda. I. Gammaridea. Das Tiereich 21: 1–806.

Associated Data

This section collects any data citations, data availability statements, or supplementary materials included in this article.

Supplementary Materials

XML Treatment for Alexandrella
XML Treatment for Alexandrella haubeni
XML Treatment for Astyra
XML Treatment for Astyra mclaughlinae

Data Availability Statement

All of the data that support the findings of this study are available in the main text.


Articles from ZooKeys are provided here courtesy of Pensoft Publishers

RESOURCES