Description of three new species of Bradyidius (Copepoda: Calanoida), the new aetideids from the deep Pacific Ocean, with notes on the genera Bradyidius and Aetideopsis

Three new aetideid species, Bradyidius abyssalis sp. nov., Bradyidius parabyssalis sp. nov., and B. kurilokamchaticus sp. nov. are described from female specimens collected near the seafloor in the abyss of the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. Specimens of Bradyidius parabyssalis sp. nov. were obtained in both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans (Argentine Basin, area of the Meteor Seamount and the Kurile-Kamchatka Trench). Bradyidius abyssalis sp. nov. was found only in the Atlantic Ocean, (Brazil and Guinea Basins and area of the Meteor Seamount) and Bradyidius kurilokamchaticus sp. nov. was recorded from the Kurile-Kamchatka Trench of the Pacific Ocean. Three new herein described Bradyidius species constitute the first documented records of the genus from the abyss of the World Ocean. In addition, three Bradyidius species from the Weddell Sea, the Atlantic Ocean and the Kurile-Kamchatka Trench, are briefly described without biological names due to their bad condition. Bradyidius parabyssalis sp. nov. and B. abyssalis sp. nov. are distinguished from all known congeners by the presence of 3 setae at the basis of the mandible and morphological details of the prosome posterior corners and P1. They show close resemblance to each other but differ in body size, rostrum structure, P4 coxa armament and length of the setae of the antennule ancestral segment I and the mandible basis. Bradyidius kurilokamchaticus sp. nov. shares with B. curtus Markhaseva, 1993, B. pacificus (Brodsky, 1950) and B. arnoldi Fleminger, 1957 a rostrum with non-divergent or parallel points, but differs from these species in the size, the well developed lateral spine on exopod segment 1, in the number of setae at the antenna exopod segment 1 and some morphological details of the prosome posterior corners. Characters that define the genus Bradyidius Giesbrecht, 1897 from Aetideopsis Sars, 1903, i.e. the shape of lateral spines of P1exopod segments 1 and 2; the endopod of P2 segmentation and the setation of the antennule ancestral segments XII, XV and XVII are discussed.

New arietellid copepods (Calanoida, Arietellidae) from anchialine caves in the Eastern Adriatic Sea

Two new species of calanoid copepods are described; Metacalanus adriaticus sp. nov. from an anchialine cave on Vis Island, and Paramisophria tvrtkovici sp. nov. from Orljak Cave, located in the lower part of River Krka estuary, near the town of Šibenik (Croatia). This is the first report of arietellid copepods found in any anchialine cave along the coast of the Adriatic Sea. In M. adriaticus sp. nov. the antennules are asymmetrical in both sexes (the female left antennule is 18-segmented, right 20-segmented; male left 16-segmented and right 20-segmented); the uniramous fifth legs of the female are 2-segmented; the terminal segment of the fifth leg in both sexes is the longest; and in the male the fifth leg exopod is 2-segmented. In P. tvrtkovici sp. nov. the antennules of both sexes are asymmetrical with the left antennule longer than the right, the female antennule is 21-segmented on both sides; the male left antennule is 19-segmented, the right 21-segmented; the armature of the terminal exopod segment of leg 1 is II, 2 ,2; the male fifth legs have a rudimentary endopod on the left leg, the third exopodal segment is smallest and bears three unequal processes on its outer margin, and the terminal spine is completely separated from the segment. On the right leg the third segment carries two short, unequal processes on its outer distal margin, as well as a long sigmoidal spine which is fused to the segment. It is inferred that, after the last glaciation, these new Arietellids moved out from their southern Adriatic refuge, colonizing first the anchialine habitats of the outer eastern Adriatic islands and then spreading along the coast.

A new species of Flavalona Sinev & Dumont, 2016 (Crustacea: Branchiopoda) from Bale Mountains, Ethiopia

Here we describe a new species of Flavalona Sinev & Dumont, 2016 (Cladocera: Chydoridae) based on material from Bale Mountains, Ethiopia. F. darkovi sp. nov. clearly differs from other species of Flavalona known to date by fine ornamentation of valves, proportions of head pores, proximal exopod spine and seta on the middle exopod segment of antenna II. This species may be considered as endemic taxon of high mountain water bodies of Bale Mountains at an altitude of about 4000 m.a.s.l. Investigated species of the genus Flavalona in Africa demonstrate strong local mountain endemism accompanied by morphological differences between closest taxa, but the real diversity of this group in Africa is underestimated yet, and further studies are urgently need. Since the high mountain water ecosystems in Africa are especially vulnerable to increasing anthropogenic impact and global climate warming, it is necessary to speed up the studies of high mountain invertebrates and develop special measures for protection of such ecosystems.

About the systematics of Palaearctic Eurytemora (Copepoda, Calanoida) based on morphological analysis, with focus on Eurytemora gracilicauda Akatova, 1949

We studied the morphology of Eurytemora from inland waters at the shores of the White and Pechora seas and from the Lena River delta, and revealed a ubiquitous presence of Eurytemora gracilicauda Akatova, which results we confirmed with genetic data. We found this species for the first time in the Pechora Sea basin. In the White Sea basin, this species was previously described as E. brodskyi Kos, with the name that we suggest is a junior synonym of E. gracilicauda. E. gracilicauda differs from the co-living species: E. lacustris (Poppe), E. arctica Wilson M. S. & Tash, and E. raboti Richard, by the structure and armament of the caudal rami and the fifth legs (P5) of males and females. The caudal rami of both males and females were elongated. The female caudal rami showed a surface covered by spines. The male caudal rami were bare, or with rare spines on the sides. The appendages of the female P5 were also elongated: the length of the inner spine on the distal exopod segment was 2.27 ± 0.12 times as long as the outer spine; the exopod of the male right P5 had a specific trigonal ledge with a short spinule, and the coxopods (both or at least one) had groups of spinules. The morphometric parameters of the females were quite stable, while those of the male showed high variability within and between populations (CV = 11.5-43.5%). Similarities and differences of E. gracilicauda and three allochoric Eurytemora species were analysed, and the results presented herein.

Halosbaena okinawaensis, a new species of Thermosbaenacea (Crustacea) from submarine cave on Okinawa Island, Ryukyu Islands, southwestern Japan

A new thermosbaenacean, Halosbaena okinawaensis sp. nov. is described from a submarine cave in Okinawa Island, Ryukyu Islands, southwestern Japan. The species differs from its congeners in having a subtrapezoidal exopod segment 1 of pereiopods 2–6, a curved penial lobe, and a telson with a pair of simple macrosetae subdistally on dorsal surface.

Establishment of a new genus for Parastenocaris itica (Copepoda, Harpacticoida) from El Salvador, Central America, with discussion of the Parastenocaris fontinalis and P. proserpina groups

A new genus of Parastenocarididae is described from the Neotropical region. Iticocaris gen. nov. is established to include Parastenocaris itica Noodt, 1962. Iticocaris gen. nov. is defined by the following characters: 1) male leg 3 with 2-segmented exopod; 2) first exopodal segment short and rectangular; 3) thumb hypertrophic, longer than the second exopodal segment and inserted on the distal edge of exopod segment 1, occupying the whole distal margin; 4) exopod 2 or apophysis strongly sclerotized, articulated with the exopod segment 1 on its inner margin and curved against the thumb, forming a strong forceps; 5) leg 4 endopod without dimorphism in shape and size vs. minor dimorphism in ornamentation; 6) leg 5 with three setae and 7) lack of the anterolateral furcal seta II. The new genus is monotypic, represented by Iticocaris itica (Noodt, 1962) comb. nov., from El Salvador, Central America. A close relationship is hypothesized between I. itica and the genus Brasilibathynellocaris Jakobi, 1972, the males of which both share the forceps-like elongated apophysis.

Lernanthropinus nematistii sp.nov. (Lernanthropidae) and Caligus tenuifurcatus Wilson, 1937 (Caligidae), siphonostomatoid copepod parasites of roosterfish (Nematistius pectoralis Gill, 1864) from the Sea of Cortez

Two roosterfish, Nematistius pectoralis Gill, 1864, from the southern Sea of Cortez were examined for parasitic copepods. The male and female of Lernanthropinus nematistii sp.nov. and Caligus tenuifurcatus Wilson, 1937 are described. Lernanthropinus nematistii sp.nov. is distinguished from its congeners by a bifid process near the tip of the brachium of the second maxilla. Caligus tenuifurcatus is distinguished from other species by the number and location of the flat, dentiform basal processes on the three most medial setae of the second exopod segment of leg 1.