On the taxonomic position of Indiacypridinae (Crustacea,Ostracoda), with the description of a new species of Indiacypris Hartmann, 1964 from Chalakkudy River (Kerala,India)

A new species of Indiacypris, I. chalakkudensis n. sp., is described from Chalakkudy River in Kerala, India; an asexual population of I. dispar occurred sympatrically with the new species and is here briefly redescribed. This is only the third species reported in this genus, and indeed also in the subfamily. The taxonomic position of this lineage is discussed in light of new morphological evidence. The subfamily could either belong to Cyprididae, or to Ilyocyprididae, or could represent an intermediate branch. Until molecular phylogeny can test these hypotheses, the subfamily remains in Ilyocyprididae.     

A new species of the genus Cytheridella (Crustacea,Ostracoda) from Nigeria,West Africa

Cytheridella tepida sp. nov., a freshwater ostracod, is described from Nigeria, West Africa. It has been compared with five extant species of the genus Cytheridella. Cytheridella tepida was collected from slow-flowing streams characterized by warm water. Some other ecological notes on its habitat are given.     

A new and enigmatic representative of Leucocythere Kaufmann, 1892 from the Eastern Cape Province (South Africa) (Crustacea,Ostracoda)

Leucocythere helenae sp. nov. is described from a small, semi-permanent dam near Grahamstown (RSA). It belongs to Leucocythere s.s., but is at the same time characterized by a number of aberrant features, especially the shape and size of the large copulatory process on the hemipenis and the relatively short setae on the P(3) of the male. A cladistic analysis is conducted and it appears that within Leucocythere, the African species have the most plesiomorphic character states. The discovery of L. helenae sp. nov. in South Africa furthermore falsifies previous hypotheses on the age and origin of the Leucocytherini in general and Leucocythere s.s. in particular. It should now be accepted that the latter genus is not of Pleistocene age, but much older, although the lack of fossil material prevents more exact dating. Also, when the cladogram is studied in conjunction with the present day distribution map of Leucocythere, the concept of a Palaearctic origin of this genus must be rejected. The most plausible hypothesis to date on the origin of this group appears to be a generalized distribution of a leucocytherid ancestor over Europe, Asia and Africa (at least), with subsequent speciation through vicariance.     

On a freshwater species of the genus Sanyuania Zhao and Han, 1980 (Crustacea,Ostracoda, Loxoconchidae) from Thailand,with a discussion on morphological evolution of the freshwater Loxoconchidae

The genus Sanyuania Zhao and Han, 1980 Zhao, G. and Han, D. 1980. “Late Quaternary brackish‐water ostracod faunas from the area to the west of Weishanhu Lake, Jiangsu and their significance.”. In Papers on Marine Micropaleontology, Edited by: Wang, P. 120–129. Beijing (China): Ocean Press.  [Google Scholar] is here transferred from the Cytherideidae to the Loxoconchidae, based on the morphology of valves and soft parts. Sanyuania segersi sp. nov., is described from a freshwater habitat, a river, in Thailand. This is the first record of this genus in Southeast Asia. The new species has a number of remarkable characters distinguishing it from other members in the genus and family: invicidont hinge, spearhead‐like protruding posterior extremity of carapace in dorsal view, subtriangular shape of carapace in lateral view, sieve plate without a central seta (sensillum) and an aberrant chaetotaxy of first and second antennae. The new taxon is compared with other recent freshwater loxoconchids [Cytheromorpha fuscata (Brady, 1869 Brady, G. S. 1869. Contributions to the study of the Entomostraca. IV. Ostracoda from the River Scheldt and the Grecian Archipelago.. Ann Mag Nat Hist ser 4., 3: 44–50.  [Google Scholar]), Elofsonia baltica (Hirschmann, 1909), Loxoconcha elliptica Brady, 1868, Loxoconcha galilea Lerner‐Seggev, 1968, Pseudolimnocythere hartmanni Danielopol, 1979 Danielopol, D. L. 1979. On the origin and the antiquity of the Pseudolimnocythere species (Ostracoda, Loxoconchidae).. Biol Gallo‐Hellen., 8: 99–107.  [Google Scholar], Pseudolimnocythere hypogaea Klie, 1938 Klie, W. 1938. Ostracoden aus unterirdischen Gewässern in Süditalien.. Zool Anz., 123: 148–154.  [Google Scholar]] using (1) phylogenetic analyses and (2) analyses of the chaetotaxy of the first antenna and second and third thoracopods, by comparison with an ontogenetic series of Loxoconcha japonica Ishizaki, 1968. The results from both types of analyses are congruent and reveal that Sanyuania segersi sp. nov., Pseudolimnocythere and Loxoconcha are in a more derived clade in the Loxoconchidae and are closely related to each other, whereas Cytheromorpha and Elofsonia are more ancestral.     

Two new species of terrestrial Isopoda (Crustacea,Oniscidea) from Ascension Island

A collection of eight species of terrestrial isopods from lava and cave sites on Ascension Island is described. Two species, Niambia longiantennata (Platyarthridae) and Elumoides coecus (Eubelidae), are described as new. Atlantoscia alceui Ferrara and Taiti (Philosciidae) is considered to be a junior synonym of A. floridana (Van Name) and the genus Ocelloscia Schultz and Johnson of Atlantoscia Ferrara and Taiti. At present the oniscidean fauna known from Ascension Island consists of 13 species.     

Redescription of three cyclocypridine freshwater ostracods (Crustacea,Ostracoda) from Southeast Asia

Summary

All three species of cyclocypridine freshwater ostracods, Cypria javana Müller, 1906, Cypria spinifera Tressler, 1937 and Physocypria crenulata (Sars) 1903 presently known from Southeast Asia are redescribed. Valves, appendages and internal organs are illustrated for females and males and detailed remarks are given for all the species.     

A new pontoniine shrimp (Crustacea: Decapoda: Palaemonidae) from the Ryukyu Islands,Japan

An unusual new genus and species of pontoniine shrimp, Nippontonia minirostris gen. nov., sp. nov., from a sponge host from the Ryukyu Is., Japan, is described and illustrated. The new genus appears not to be closely related to any of the previously described genera. The genus is particularly remarkable for the morphology of the fixed finger of the minor second pereiopod, which is without parallel in the Palaemonidae.     

A new genus and species of terrestrial isopod from Malaysia (Crustacea,Oniscidea, Platyarthridae)

A new terrestrial isopod, Cephaloniscus sociabilis gen. nov., sp. nov., from Fraser Hill in central Malaysia, is described and illustrated. The new genus belongs to the family Platyarthridae and is distinguished from other members of the family by the characteristic structure of the cephalon. The specimens were collected from the nest of the termite Hospitalitermes sp. (near medioflavus Holmgren) together with the ant Centromyrmex hamulatus (Karavaiev).     

A new species of Ischyrocerus (Crustacea: Amphipoda) from Ireland,with a review of Ischyrocerus anguipes and Ischyrocerus minutus from the North-East Atlantic

A new species of ischyrocerid amphipod, Ischyrocerus fractus sp. nov., is described from south-west Ireland. An examination of material from the Sars Collection at the Zoologisk Museum, Oslo, has confirmed that Ischyrocerus minutus Sars, previously placed as a synonym of Ischyrocerus anguipes Krøyer, is a valid species and is widespread in the British Isles, while I. anguipes is Arctic/boreal in distribution.     

Cyclocypris diebeli Absolon, 1973 (Ostracoda,Crustacea), extinct in Europe,extant in Japan

Fossil Cyclocypris diebeli Absolon, 1973 Absolon, A. 1973. Ostracoden aus einigen Profilen spät- und postglazialer Karbonatablagerungen in Mitteleuropa,. Mitteilungen der Bayerischen Staatssammlung für Paläontologie und Historische Geologie, 13: 47–94.  [Google Scholar] from Europe are redescribed, utilizing material with chitinous preservation of the appendages and carapace. These are compared with living C. diebeli from Kushiro Marsh, Hokkaido, Japan, representing the first living population of this species ever found. The fossil material is associated with strongly calcareous sediments, whereas the living material is found in weakly calcareous to acidic waters. Reasons for the different ecological requirements are discussed. Detailed study of soft parts of both living and fossil material using SEM is compared with other Cyclocypris species and it is shown that C. diebeli is more closely related to the North American Cyclocypris cruciata Furtos, 1935 Furtos, N. C. 1935. Fresh-water Ostracoda from Massachusetts,. Journal of the Washington Academy of Sciences, 25: 530–544.  [Google Scholar] than to any European congeneric species. Furthermore, the comparison with other Cyclocypris species with left>right valve overlap results in the conclusion that the subgenus Laevicypris Krsti?, 1995 Krsti? N 1995 A new Cyclocypris subgenus—Laevicypris, in J. Ríha (ed.) Ostracoda and Biostratigraphy. Proceedings of the 12th International Symposium on Ostracoda (Rotterdam: A. Balkema), pp.?37–42  [Google Scholar] is not a useful division of the genus.     

A new species of the genus Vercoia from Okinawa Island,Japan (Crustacea,Decapoda, Caridea,Crangonidae), with descriptions of its zoeal stages

A new crangonid shrimp and its four zoeal stages are described and illustrated in detail from Okinawa Island, Japan. The new species of Vercoia is readily distinguished from V. gibbosa Baker, 1904 Baker W. H 1904 Notes on South Australian decapod Crustacea Transactions and Proceedings and Report of the Royal Society of South Australia, 28, 146–161, pls 27–31  [Google Scholar], V. socotrana Duris, 1992 Duris, Z. 1992. Revision of Vercoia Baker (Crustacea: Decapoda: Crangonidae). Invertebrate Taxonomy, 6: 1437–1457.  [Google Scholar] and V. japonica Komai, 1995 Komai, T. 1995. Vercoia japonica, a new species of crangonid shrimp (Crustacea: Decapoda: Caridea) from Japan. Natural History Research, 3: 123–132.  [Google Scholar], in adult morphology, by the bilobed anterior expansion of the hepatic carina of the carapace, the notched mid-dorsal carina on the fifth abdominal somite, and the presence of the distoventral tooth on the ischium of the second pereopod. The larvae of the new species which are the first larvae of a species assigned to Vercoia to be described, are very similar to those of species of Philocheras, but they differ in the setation of the endopods of the maxillule and maxilla. A key to the adult species of Vercoia is provided.     

Two new Sarsiellinae (Ostracoda: Myodocopa) from Ningaloo Reef (Western Australia), with a cladistic analysis of the subfamily and keys to genera

Two new Sarsiellinae from Ningaloo Reef, Spinacopia ningalooi sp. nov., and Metasarsiella caleyi sp. nov. are described. Spinacopia ningalooi is the first representative of the genus collected from a coral reef. It differs from the other species by its odd looking posterior infold. Metasarsiella caleyi sp. nov. is the first species of the genus reported from Australia. Keys to species of Spinacopia Kornicker, 1969 Kornicker, LS. 1969. Morphology, Ontogeny, and Intraspecific Variation of Spinacopia, a new genus of myodocopid ostracod (Sarsiellidae). Smith Contr Zool., 8: 50 [Google Scholar] and Metasarsiella Kornicker, 1991 Kornicker, LS. 1991. Myodocopid Ostracoda from Enewetak and Bikini Atolls. Smith Contr Zool., 505: 140 [Google Scholar], and to all the genera of Sarsiellinae are given here, together with an inventory of all the species and information on their distributions and biology. The results of two cladistic analyses (with unweighted and with weighted characters) of the subfamily based on 138 species and 34 morphological characters are presented. The first analysis resulted in seven equally parsimonious trees and the second in just one. The majority rule of the first group of trees and the tree from the second analysis are presented here.     

Review of the genus Chauliopleona Dojiri and Sieg, 1997 (Crustacea,Peracarida, Tanaidacea) and description of three new species

The tanaidacean genus Chauliopleona Dojiri and Sieg, is reviewed. A generic diagnosis is given and the type species Chauliopleona dentata Dojiri and Sieg, is redescribed. Three species, Leptognathia armataHansen, , L. amdrupii Hansen, and L. hastata Hansen, are placed into this genus. Three new species, one from the Angola Basin, one from the deep sea of the tropical East Pacific and one from Antarctica are described. A key for the genus is provided.     

A new freshwater ostracod genus (Crustacea,Ostracoda) from Tokelau Islets,South Pacific Islands

Summary

Tungucypridopsis gen. nov. is described to include a species of freshwater ostracod which was originally described as Cypridopsis lairdi Victor and Fernando 1978 from Tokelau Islets, South Pacific Islands.     

Re-description of Heterodesmus adamsii Brady, 1866 from Japan,with a description of a new congeneric species (Ostracoda: Myodocopina)

Heterodesmus adamsii Brady, 1866 from Amakusa and a new species, Heterodesmus apriculus sp. nov. from Amakusa and Noto, both from Japan are reported. It is confirmed in the present study that the main characteristics of the carapace and appendages of H. adamsii accord with those of the genus Amphisiphonostra Poulsen, 1962, and it is concluded that the latter is a junior synonym of Heterodesmus Brady, 1866. A diagnosis of the genus Heterodesmus is given.