Spiniferaphonte cf. ornata Gheerardyn & Fiers, 2007

Bruno, Maria Cristina & Cottarelli, Vezio, 2011, Proposal of Fiersiphontina gen. nov., redescription of Fiersiphontina sensillata comb. nov., and new data on the distribution of Spiniferaphonte (Copepoda, Harpacticoida, Laophontidae), Zootaxa 2809, pp. 1-19 : 13

Spiniferaphonte cf. ornata Gheerardyn & Fiers, 2007

( Fig. 8 )

Material examined. One female ( DSAUT 126) mounted on one slide, from washout of coral sand and fragments, hand-collected by snorkeling at 5 m depth, in front of beach near Sabang Village where Fiersiphontina sensillata comb. nov. was collected, Eastern Mindoro Province, Philippines, 13° 31’ 17” N; 120° 58’ 23” E, 20 March 1998. Material collected by V. Cottarelli.

Description of female. Total body length, measured from anterior margin of rostrum to posterior margin of caudal rami = 711 μm. Habitus, body ornamentation, rostrum A1 ( Fig. 8 A), A2, mouth parts, P1, as in S. ornata .

Anal operculum: with 11 tooth-like processes ( Fig. 8 B).

Caudal rami ( Fig. 8 B): armature as in S. ornata but seta V proportionally longer and thinner, one tubepore adjacent to seta VI (arrowed in figure).

P2 ( Fig. 8 C): exopod one-segmented narrowing at tip, with three apical plumose setae, two innermost shorter and of same length; one strong bipinnate spine on outer distal corner.

P3 ( Fig. 8 D): basis with one pore; exopod three-segmented, first and second segments with one very strong bipinnate spine on outer distal corner; third segment with three apical and one inner pinnate setae of subequal length, inner seta inserted at midlength of segment.

P4 ( Fig. 8 E): exopod three-segmented, first segment with very strong bipinnate spine on outer distal corner; second segment with long bipinnate spiniform seta on outer distal corner; third segment with four pinnate setae of different length.

P5 ( Fig. 8 F): exopod shorther than in S. ornata , with similar armature but three subequal distal pinnate setae and one longer and pinnate subapical outer seta. Endopodal lobe with four setae as in S. ornata , but less developed.

Remarks. Only the characters which distinguish this specimen from the original description are given above. Spiniferaphonte cf. ornata differs in body length (711 µm vs 564–610 µm); the morphology and armature of P2-P5 and anal operculum (stronger spines on the P2-P4 exopods, one additional seta on 3-exp P3, a much longer P4 endopod, and an anal operculum with more processes on the distal margin in Spiniferaphonte cf. ornata ). The caudal rami and P5 have additional differences in setal/spinal length (the caudal rami have an additional secretory tube pore, not recorded in Spiniferaphonte ornata ). These differences might be large enough to attribute Spiniferaphonte cf. ornata to a new species, but the availability of only one specimen does not allow us to evaluate the possible intraspecific variability, or to describe the male morphology. As a consequence, we postpone a more precise definition of the taxonomic status of this specimen until we are able to collect more material.

Figures

FIGURE 8. Spiniferaphonte cf. ornata Gheerardyn, Fiers, Vincx & De Troch, 2007. A, female: rostrum and antennule (schematic); B, female: anal somite, anal operculum, caudal rami, dorsal view; C, female: P 2; D, female: P 3; E, female: P 4, F, female: P 5. Scale bars: 50 μm.