Taxonomic revision of Bagatus (Isopoda,Asellota) with a discussion of ontogenetic polymorphism in males

Summary

A taxonomic review of 15 species comprising the genus Bagatus (Asellota, Janiridae) is presented with the following species described as new (type-localities in parenthesis): Bagatus nereus (Ubatuba, São Paulo State, Brazil), B. triton (Belize, British Honduras) and B. brachydactylus (La Parguera, Puerto Rico).

Taxonomic characters and ontogenetic variation is discussed, and the status of dubious species clarified. B. crosslandi (Stebbing) is reinstated as a valid species; B. longimanus Pillai is considered a junior synonym of B. algicola (Miller) and B. falcifer (Barnard) a junior synonym of B. parvus (Omer-Cooper). Keys to species-groups and to species are provided together with notes on the geographical distribution and habitat.     

A re-examination of Periclimenes (Hamiger) novae-zealandiae Borradaile, 1916, and recognition of the pontoniine shrimp genus Hamiger,Borradaile

The syntypes of Periclimenes (Hamiger) novae-zealandiae Borradaile, 1916, the only known specimens, from off North Cape, New Zealand, are redescribed and illustrated. Placed by Kemp (1922) in the genus Periclimenaeus Borradaile, 1915, the species is now removed from that genus and Borradaile's subgenus Hamiger is raised to generic status for its reception. The male specimen is designated as lectotype. The specimens are held in the collection of the British Museum (Natural History).

The genus Hamiger is most closely related to the genera Thaumastocaris Kemp, 1922, and Orthopontonia Bruce, 1982, both monospecific genera, known to associate with sponges. It is considered that H. novae-zealandiae is probably also a sponge associate and that Palaemonetes natalensis Stebbing, 1915 may be closely related.     

Two zoogeographically remarkable mite species from Finland (Acari,Oribatida, Oribotritiidae)

Species of the genus Mesothuria (fam. Synallactidae) occurring in the Atlantic Ocean are revised. The genus includes 25 valid species, nine of them known from the Atlantic. The new species Mesothuria milleri sp. nov. is described from the north-east Atlantic. It is argued that the genus Zygothuria, established by Perrier in 1898 and recognized later only by Deichmann, should be maintained as a separate genus. Mesothuria and Zygothuria differ in body form, arrangement of ambulacral appendages, and structure of segments of calcareous ring and ossicles from the body wall. The six known species of Zygothuria are reviewed. Zygothuria oxysclera, a former variation of Zygothuria lactea, is proposed as a valid species. Identification keys to species of the genus Zygothuria and Atlantic species of the genus Mesothuria are provided. Data on the life history and reproductive biology of Mesothuria milleri and Zygothuria lactea are given. Both species are common in the north-east Atlantic.     

New and unusual abyssal gammaridean Amphipoda from the north-east Pacific

Seventeen species of gammaridean amphipods were identified from sediment trap collections in the north-east Pacific, off the central California coast from depths of 3450–4050 m. Four new monotypic genera, Anisocallisoma (Family Scopelocheiridae), Triquetramana (Family Eusiridae), Octomana and Macroarthrus (Family Pardaliscidae) and eight new species, Cyphocaris latirama, Schisturella spinirama, Paracallisoma spinipoda, Anisocallisoma armigera, Triquetramana brevipalpa, Octomana hadromischa, Macroarthrus victoriae, Oedicerina denticulata are described. A number of new and unusual morphological characteristics were discovered, most notably in the family Pardaliscidae, where two of the new genera belong. In addition, new distributional and/or depth records are established for the following species: Procyphocaris indurata (K. H. Barnard, 1925), Scopelocheiropsis abyssalis Schellenberg, 1926a, Rhachotropis distincta (Holmes, 1908), Cleonardo biscayensis Chevreux, 1908b, Cleonardo macrocephala Birstein and Vinogradov, 1955, Pardaliscopsis tenuipalpa Chevreux, 1911, Halice aculeata Chevreux, 1912 and the genus Oedicerina Stephensen, 1931. In order to assist future identification, the new species are fully diagnosed and illustrated. Three tables for comparing characters and a key to the species of Oedicerina are also provided. Additional morphological information and figures are given for existing species that hitherto were poorly described and illustrated. Sediment traps normally employed in studying organic matter fluxes are herewith used for the first time as a source of deep-sea amphipods, and this potentially exciting method is discussed. The high proportion of new taxa illustrates the deficiencies in our knowledge of the abyssal fauna in this area, emphasizes the importance of continued collecting in the deep-sea, and demonstrates the need for increased taxonomic effort to document this diversity.     

A new species of Valettia (Crustacea: Amphipoda) and the relationship of the Valettidae to the Lysianassoidea

The family Vallettidae is re-established to accommodate Valettia coheres Stebbing, 1888 and V. hystrix sp. nov. Although closer to the Lysianassoidea than to any other gammaridean superfamily, characters of the mandible, maxillae, gnathopods and oostegites preclude membership of that superfamily. Further assessments of the Valettidae and other family groups peripheral to the Lysianassoidea will be required before formal high-level classification can be established.     

Atlantic and Mediterranean species of the genus Andaniexis Stebbing (Amphipoda: Stegocephalidae)

The Atlantic and Mediterranean species of the genus Andaniexis Stebbing, 1906 (Amphipoda: Stegocephalidae) are reviewed, and three new species are described. The species Andaniexis abyssi (Boeck, 1871) which previously was considered a widely distributed species (from Baffin Bay to both Spitzbergen and the Skagerrak), is here divided into three species: Andaniexis abyssi s.str., Andaniexis gracilis n.sp. and Andaniexis lupus n.sp. These species, together with Andaniexis mimonectes Ruffo, 1975, all have allopatric distributions. This is especially evident in northern Norway, where A. abyssi has its northernmost limit: A. abyssi is found in Solbergfjorden (69°10′N), while Andaniexis lupus is found in the adjacent fjord Malangen (69°30′N, the southern limit of this species along the Norwegian coast). Andaniexis eilae n.sp. is described from Iceland. This species is not closely related to the other North Atlantic species of the same genus.     

Considerations about the genus Pentoniscus Richardson, 1913 (Crustacea: Isopoda: Oniscidea) with description of a new species

The status of the neotropical genus Pentoniscus Richardson, 1913 is reconsidered and a diagnosis of this genus is given. It is shown that Pentoniscus Richardson, 1913 is a valid genus and not a synonym of Philoscia Latreille, 1804 as discussed by Schultz (1968). The type species, Pentoniscus pruinosus Richardson, 1913 is redescribed and for the first time figured in detail. A new species of Pentoniscus Richardson, 1913 is described from Costa Rica, Central America, which differs remarkably from its congeners in being unpigmented and blind.     

Redescription of the genus Noteochordodes,reinterpretation of Noteochordodes dugesi (Camerano, 1898), a new combination of Neochordodes talensis (Camerano, 1897) and a description of a new species

Three species of the freshwater genus Noteochordodes (Nematomorpha) have been reported from Argentina. In this reinvestigation Neochordodes talensis is included into Noteochordodes on the basis of its cuticular structure. The ultrastructural study of the holotype of N. dugesi showed features which are correspondent with the genus Pseudochordodes. Consequently, some specimens formerly assigned to this species have been assigned to a new species, Noteochordoeds cymatium. Another new species, Noteochordodes achosmosus is also described. Therefore, we regard five species to be valid for the genus Noteochordodes: N. achosmosus, N. cymatium, N. desantisi, N. talensis and N. saltae.     

Contributions to the knowledge of the genera Haemerophygus Baudi, 1876 and Ceratanisus Gemminger, 1870 (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae: Ceratanisini) in the Anatolian region

Previously known species of the genus Ceratanisus Gemminger, 1870 are studied, based on a comparison of specimens. This study is a first attempt to scrutinize the composition of this poorly known genus, as a preliminary approach to the tribe Ceratanisini Gebien, 1937. As a result of this study three previously described taxa are recognized as valid species and three new species from Turkey, Ceratanisus selimi sp. nov., Ceratanisus labriquei sp. nov. and Ceratanisus andiberti sp. nov., are described. A key for the separation of the genera of Ceratanisini is presented, including the new species described herein.     

A taxonomic study on the Phtisicidae (Crustacea: Amphipoda) of New South Wales,Australia

The present study reviews the taxonomy of the Phtisicidae (Crustacea: Amphipoda) from the coast of New South Wales, Australia. The following seven species are described; Dodecas decacentrum Stebbing, 1910b, Dodecas hexacentrum Mayer, 1903, Hircella cornigera (Haswell, 1879b), Metaproto novaehollandiae (Haswell, 1879a), Notoprotomima smithi gen. nov., sp. nov., Paraproto sp. and Perotripus sp. Generic diagnoses of Notoprotomima gen. nov., Dodecas, Hircella and Metaproto are provided based on the present materials. Notoprotomima smithi is fully described as a new species of the new genus. Dodecas decacentrum differs from Dodecas hexacentrum by the presence of paired dorsodistal projections on pereonite 2, paired mid-dorsal projections on pereonites 3 and 4 and shorter gill length on pereonites 2 and 3. Hircella cornigera and Metaproto novaehollandiae are described in detail. The larger mature males of M. novaehollandiae possess the unusual massive type of the propodus of gnathopod 2. The extended distribution of Perotripus to the New South Wales coast is noted. A key for these phtisicid amphipods from New South Wales, Australia is provided.     

A revision of the genus Heliconema Travassos, 1919, Physalopteridae (Nematoda)

Summary

It is accepted that the genus Ortleppina Schulz, 1927, is a synonym of the genus Heliconema Travassos, 1919.

Five valid species of Heliconema are recognized: H. heliconema, H. ahiri, H. baylisi, H. brevispiculum and H. longissima.

A new species, H. baylisi is described, and H. heliconema, H. brevispiculum and H. longissima are redescribed.     

Typhlosyrinx -like tropical deep-water turriform gastropods (Mollusca,Gastropoda, Conoidea)

Based on radular and protoconch morphology, the genus Typhlosyrinx Thiele, 1925 has been successively classified in the subfamily Turriculinae of the family Turridae and in the subfamily Clathurellinae of the family Conidae. It is shown that the protoconch had earlier been misinterpreted, and the presence of a diagonally cancellated sculpture indicates a placement in the conid subfamily Raphitominae. Two conchologically similar genera, based on teleoconch sculpture and radular morphology are recognized: Typhlosyrinx, with axial ribbing on teleoconch spire whorls and a radula with long (250 μm) barbed teeth, and Leiosyrinx n. gen., without axial sculpture and a radula with short (<100 μm) simplified teeth. Five species (two new) of Typhlosyrinx and four species (all new) of Leiosyrinx are recognized, all at bathyal depths between 280 and 1840 m in the tropical Indo-Pacific and Panamic provinces. The two genera are not known earlier than the Pliocene, where they already occurred in deep-water assemblages.     

In search of the true Tydeus (Acari,Tydeidae)

The early history of the genus Tydeus, the type genus of the family Tydeidae, is complex and convoluted and, subsequently, even the identity of the type species of the family remains unclear. First, the literature is thoroughly analysed and morphological characters of some species are reappraised. After studying Oudemans' types, two species inquirendae, Tydeus croceus and T. cruciatus, are redescribed and a third, T. spathulatus, removed from synonymy and reinstated as a valid species. A fourth species, confused with T. spathulatus, is described. A lectotype is designated for T. spathulatus and a neotype for T. croceus. After discussion, the genus Lorryia Oudemans, is re‐established in its pristine state. As the redescribed species were designated as type species by Oudemans, the following new generic synonymies are proposed: Raphitydeus Thor, and Lorryia Oudemans, sensu Ka?mierski (, ) are junior synonyms of Brachytydeus Thor, ; Homeotydeus André, (partim) and Pseudolorryia Ka?mierski, are junior synonyms of Calotydeus Oudemans, ; Brachytydeus Thor, (partim), Calotydeus Oudemans, (partim), Tydeus Koch, sensu Oudemans, (partim), Orthotydeus André, , and Tydeus Koch, sensu Ka?mierski, are junior synonyms of Tydeus Koch, . To stabilize the usage of the names, especially that of the genus type of the family Tydeidae, the International Commission of Zoological Nomenclature will be asked to set aside all previous type species designations for Tydeus and to designate Tydeus spathulatus as the type species, with Oudemans' specimens from Italy as primary type material.