Analysis of the genus Sunamphitoe Spence Bate, 1857 (Amphipoda: Ampithoidae) with descriptions of eight new species.

Sunamphitoe Spence Bate, 1857 is one of several ampithoid amphipod genera to be reasonably specific to its algal host. Sunamphitoe was recently shown to be a senior synonym of Peramphithoe Conlan & Bousfield, 1982 by both morphological and molecular phylogenetic analyses that included selected exemplars of both putative genera. Phylogenetic analysis considering all species of Sunamphitoe herein corroborates the validity of this synonymy and also delineates several morphological groups within the genus. Eight new species are descibed herein, Sunamphitoe angrox sp. nov., S. batavia sp. nov., S. dampierensis sp. nov., S. jonathani sp. nov., S. lehae sp. nov., S. mixtura sp. nov., S. naturaliste sp. nov., and S. stevesmithi sp. nov., all from Australia and New Zealand; the status of the problematic New Zealand species, Sunamphitoe aorangi is resolved.