Chilodelphys, Kim & Boxshall, 2020

Kim, Il-Hoi & Boxshall, Geoff A., 2020, Untold diversity: the astonishing species richness of the Notodelphyidae (Copepoda: Cyclopoida), a family of symbiotic copepods associated with ascidians (Tunicata), Megataxa 4 (1), pp. 1-6 : 648

Chilodelphys gen. nov.

Diagnosis. Body stout, maggot-shaped, divisible into cephalosome, metasome, and urosome. Cephalosome incompletely articulated from metasome, with expanded ventral region. Freeurosome small, indistinctly 2- segmented, consisting of genital somite and unsegmented abdomen bearing caudal rami. Rostrum distinct. Antennule 2-segmented with setae on distal segment. Antenna 3-segmented, consistingof short coxa, basis, and unsegmented endopod bearing small terminal claw. Labrum lobate. Mouthparts absent. Three pairs of large ventral lobes present in oral region. Legs 1–4 absent. Leg 5 transformed to horn-like, pointed process bearing 1 minute seta proximally on outer margin.

Type species. Chilodelphys cerasta gen. et sp. nov. by original designation.

Etymology. The name is derved from the Greek chil (=lip) plus - delphys, and alludes to the presence of three pairs of lip-like swellings in the oral region.

Remarks. The new genus is characterised by its autapomorphic feature, the possession of the three pairs of large lobes in the oral region. It is possible that these lobes representtransformedmouthparts butwithoutthe additional evidence provided by, for example, a series of ontogenetic stages or the presence of recognizable setation elements, we prefer to use a neutral terminology. Despite the lack of mouthparts and legs 1–4, a transformed leg 5 and a distinct free urosome bearing caudal rami are present.