Aplodelphys, 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 : 653

Aplodelphys gen. nov.

Diagnosis. Body cylindrical, consistingof unsegmented prosome and small urosome. Body surface covered with fine spinules. Urosome unsegmented, positioned at posterior end of prosome, bearing lobate caudal rami. Caudal setae absent. Rostrum and antennules lacking. Antenna small, 2-segmented with terminal claw. Labrum large, conical, posteriorly-directed, extending slightly beyond distal tip of leg 1 rami. Mouthparts absent. Legs 1 and 2 positioned ventrally and directed posteriorly. Leg 1 biramous; rami digitiform, unsegmented and conical; both rami equal in length. Leg 2 as in leg 1 but with slightly smaller rami. Legs 3–5 absent.

Type species. Aplodelphys conica gen. et sp. nov. by original desgination.

Etymology. The name is derived from the Greek apl (=simple) and - delphys, referring to the simple body structure of the new genus.

Remarks. Aplodelphys gen. nov. shows extreme reduction in appendages, a feature that it shares with Socotradelphys gen. nov. and Paranoplodelphys . Aplodelphys gen. nov. lacks ventrolateral processes on the cephalosome and bears biramous legs 1 and 2, which separates it from Scocotradelphys gen. nov. It lacks antennules but has paired antennae and a biramous leg 2, which serve to distinguish it from Paranoplodelphys .