Boreosignum, Just, Jean & Wilson, George D. F., 2007

Just, Jean & Wilson, George D. F., 2007, Revision of Austrosignum Hodgson and Munnogonium George & Strömberg (Paramunnidae) with descriptions of eight new genera and two new species, (Crustacea: Isopoda: Asellota), Zootaxa 1515, pp. 1-29 : 13-14

Boreosignum gen. nov.

Type species. Austrosignum maltinii Schiecke & Fresi, 1972 . —Here designated.

Species included. Boreosignum affinis ( Malyutina & Ushakova, 2001) , comb. nov., B. maltinii ( Schiecke & Fresi, 1972) , comb. nov., B. orientale ( Shimomura & Mawatari, 2000) , comb. nov., B. somersensis ( Kensley, 1994) , comb. nov., B. wilsoni ( Hooker, 1985) , comb. nov., B. polynesiensis ( Müller, 1989) , comb. nov.

Diagnosis. Body ovate. Head front margin evenly convex, not projecting. Pereonites dorsally smooth. Pleotelson entire lateral margins denticulate. Eyestalk length at least twice greatest width. Antennula article 1 at least twice length of eyestalk. Mandible palp absent. Pereopod I carpus triangular, with 2 straight robust setae posteriorly; propodus with simple setae only on posterior margin. Pereopod II carpus and propodus posterior margin with a few short robust setae. Uropod endopod straight, apex truncate.

Etymology. The genus name incorporates the Latin boreus meaning northerly, alluding to the largely Northern Hemisphere distribution of the included species.

Remarks. We have not seen material of Boreosignum maltinii . No reports on the species are subsequent to the original description. Our analysis is based on description and illustrations in Schiecke & Fresi (1972). Boreosignum is most similar to Tethygonium , from which it differs by having 2 straight robust setae on the posterior margin of carpus of pereopod I as opposed to 3 or more curved robust setae in Tethygonium . Both genera have article 1 of the antennula at least twice as long as the eyestalk, while other genera with fully serrate pleotelson margins have the article at most as long as the eyestalk.

Distribution. Mediterranean, Japan, Korea, Bermuda (cave), Gulf of Mexico, Society Islands. 5–25.5 m.