Meridiosignum, 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 : 18

Meridiosignum gen. nov.

Type species. Meridiosignum minidenticulatum sp. nov.

Species included. Meridiosignum kerguelensis ( Vanhöffen, 1914) , comb. nov., M. minidenticulatum sp. nov., M. menziesi ( Winkler, 1994) , comb. nov., M. subtilis ( Kensley, 1976) , comb. nov.

Diagnosis. Body ovate (posteriorly tapering in terminal males). Head front margin weakly convex to nearly straight, not projecting. Pereonites dorsally smooth. Pleotelson lateral margins denticulate; apex with row of elongate fringing setae projecting well beyond terminal margin. Eyestalk length at least twice greatest width. Antennula article 1 at most as long as eyestalk. Mandible palp absent. Pereopod I carpus triangular, with 2 straight robust setae posteriorly; propodus with 2 or 1 ( M. menziesi ) robust setae 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 meridianus meaning southern, an allusion to the Southern Hemisphere, mostly subantarctic to cold temperate, distribution of the species.

Remarks. Species in Meridiosignum gen. nov. differs from those in other genera with lateral margin of pleotelson fully serrate as follows: Boreosignum and Tethygonium species have article 1 of the antennula at least twice as long as the eyestalk (at most as long as eyestalk in Meridiosignum ), Zizzygonium has the front margin of the head concave, a mandible palp is present, pereopod I carpus is oval (front margin weakly convex, mandible palp absent, carpus triangular).

We have examined the original materials from Chile identified as Paramunna kerguelensis by Menzies (1962: 47, fig. 8) and the type material of Paramunna menziesi Winkler, 1994 . Both authors illustrated their specimens without coxal plates V–VII visible in dorsal view. The coxal plates are, however, clearly visible in both materials. We agree with Winkler (1994: 255) that Menzies’ P. kerguelensis should be referred to P. m e n - ziesi (here transferred to the new genus Meridiosignum ).