The first record of Syncarida in Montana,USA: a new genus and species of Parabathynellidae (Crustacea,Bathynellacea) in North America

Montanabathynella salish gen. nov. sp. nov., of the family Parabathynellidae, from Montana, USA, is described. The new species displays several exclusive characters: distal endite of the maxillule with nine claws and a very large and distinctive male thoracopod 8 with four lobes in the basal penial region and a long recurved exopod without setation. It also presents a unique combination of characters: antennule seven‐segmented; antenna six‐segmented; labrum with 18 teeth; exopod of thoracopods three‐ to six‐segmented, endopod with one dorsal seta on the first and second segments and epipod only present on thoracopods 4 to 7; pleopods absent; endopod of thoracopod 8 male with two setae and exopod without setae; female thoracopod 8 having two segments, first segment with two groups of denticles and the second one with three long barbed setae; 15 spines on sympod, four spines and spinous process on endopod and 12 setae on exopod of uropod.