Cold-water coral associated Acanthonotozomellidae (Crustacea, Amphipoda) off Aotearoa New Zealand, with description of a new genus and species

Aotearoa New Zealand has some of the most diverse and abundant deep-sea cold-water coral fauna found in the world. The coral-associated fauna off Stewart Island was investigated and revealed Amphipoda of the family Acanthonotozomellidae Coleman & J.L. Barnard, 1991a. This is the first time this family is recorded from the south Pacific.

In situ observations by the ROV MARUM Squid revealed camouflage colour patterns of the amphipods on different primnoid corals. Integrative taxonomy methods were approached, Paracanthonotozomella steffi gen. et sp. nov. is described in detail, including photographs, illustrations, confocal laser scanning microscope images, COI and 16 S sequences. A key to the world genera of Acanthonotozomellidae is provided.