Longipedis

Larsen, Kim & Shimomura, Michitaka, 2006, Tanaidacea (Crustacea: Peracarida) from Japan. I. Apseudomorpha from the East China Sea, Seto Inland Sea, and Nansei Islands, Zootaxa 1341, pp. 29-48 : 40-41

Genus Longipedis n. gen

Diagnosis

Female. Body dorsoventrally flattened, pereonites without lateral spiniform apophyses. Cephalothorax with blunt ocular lobes. Pleonite 1 without transverse dorsal band of setae. Antennule rami of almost equal length. Antenna peduncle without multiple inner setae, squama well developed. Mandible palp short (about as long as molar), with three articles. Maxillule with biarticulated palp. Chelipeds and pereopod 1 with exopod with plumose setae. Pereopod 1 coxa with small blunt apophysis, carpus not enlarged/ expanded. Pereopods 4–6 longer and wider than pereopod 1. Pereopod 4 dactylus only slightly reduced. Pereopod 6 with dorsal plumose setae on basis, merus and carpus. Pleopods well developed.

Gender

Neuter.

Etymology

Named after the long pereopods 4–6 (Latin: Longi = long + Pedis = legs).

Type species

Longipedis fragilis n. sp.

Remarks

The long and robust pereopods 4–6 (‘jumping legs’) are striking in this genus. Something similar is found in Saltipedis Gutu, 1995 a but Saltipedis is diagnosed as having no pereopod 1 coxa apophysis. Such an apophysis is present in Longipedis albeit small and blunt. Also Saltipedis has a transverse band of setae across the first pleonite which is lacking in Longipedis . The almost equally long antennular rami are also seen in the genus Longiflagrum Gutu, 1995 a, but the pereopod structure is different, particularly that of pereopod 1. Also Longiflagrum has a transverse dorsal band of setae across the first pleonite.

The presence of a pereopod 1 coxa apophysis is in contradiction with the family diagnosis of Parapseudidae . The finding of a species which such (albeit small and blunt) but otherwise conforming to Parapseudidae in all other respects, highlights the current lack of systematic resolution for the Tanaidacea . For the moment the new genus Longipedis is placed in the Parapseudidae near Saltipedis and Longiflagrum .