A new species of Psammogammarus (Amphipoda: Melitidae) from Kuchinoerabu Island, Japan, with a note on its feeding habits.

A new melitoid Amphipoda, Psammogammarus mawatarii, is described from Kuchinoerabu Island, Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan. This is the first record of the genus from Asia. The new species is morphologically similar to P. garthi, but differs from the latter in the following features: 1) lateral cephalic lobe of head not strongly produced; 2) head lacking antennal sinus; and 3) posteroventral corner of epimeral plate 3 rounded. Morphology of maxillae 1 and 2, and mandible, and gut contents (harpacticoid Copepoda) of P. mawatarii indicate that the feeding type of the species seems to be, at least facultatively, carnivorous.