Kimberleynitocrella, Karanovic & Hancock, 2009

Karanovic, Tomislav & Hancock, Peter, 2009, On the diagnostic characters of the genus Stygonitocrella (Copepoda, Harpacticoida), with descriptions of seven new species from Australian subterranean waters 2324, Zootaxa 2324 (1), pp. 1-85 : 12

Genus Kimberleynitocrella gen. nov.

Diagnosis. Large and slender Ameiridae , with cylindrical habitus and no distinct demarcation between prosome and urosome. Integument weakly chitinized and without cuticular windows; hyaline fringe of all somites smooth. First pedigerous somite incorporated into cephalothorax. Prosome weakly ornamented with moderately large sensilla, urosome additionally ornamented with posteroventral rows of small spinules. Genital double-somite without visible suture but slightly constricted laterally; genital field with single large copulatory pore, wide copulatory duct and two small semicircular seminal receptacles; single small genital aperture covered by fused reduced sixth legs, without armature or ornamentation. Anal operculum wide and convex, not reaching to posterior end of anal somite, ornamented with more than 50 minute spinules near posterior margin. Caudal rami conical, as long as greatest width and slightly divergent; dorsal seta inserted near posterior margin and very close to inner margin, about twice as long as ramus; proximal lateral seta arising somewhat dorsolaterally at midlength; distal lateral seta arising at 5/6 and laterally; inner apical seta as long as ramus; principal apical setae with breaking plane. Antennula long and slender, eight-segmented in female and ten-segmented and not strongly geniculate in male; with smooth seta on first segment. Antenna composed of coxa, basis, two-segmented endopod and one-segmented exopod; exopod armed with three setae. Labrum with narrow and convex cutting edge. Mandibula with narrow cutting edge and two-segmented palp; basis unarmed, endopod with four apical setae. Maxillular endopod absent. Maxilla with single endite on syncoxa; endopod a minute, but distinct segment. Maxilliped three-segmented, armed with one seta on syncoxa and one on endopod. All swimming legs with three-segmented exopod. Endopod of first leg threesegmented; endopod of second and third swimming legs two-segmented, while endopod of fourth swimming leg reduced to a small knob. All exopodal segments of about same length; first exopodal segment of all legs without inner seta, second with inner seta; third exopodal segment of first leg with three outer spines and no inner setae, that of other legs with two outer spines and one (second and third leg) or two (fourth leg) inner setae. First endopodal segment of first leg large, about 2.8 times as long as wide, almost reaching to middle of third exopodal segment and armed with short spiniform inner seta; first endopodal segment of other legs small and unarmed. Basis of first leg in male with inner spine transformed, smooth and inflated distally; no other sexual dimorphism in the swimming legs. Fifth leg same in both sexes, represented only by two lateral knobs on surface of somite; inner knob, representing exopod, armed with four smooth and slender setae; outer knob represents outer part of basis and armed with single seta; endopodal lobe absent. Sixth legs in male fused basally together and to somite, each armed with single seta posterolaterally.

Type and only species. Kimberleynitocrella billhumphreysi sp. nov.

Etymology. The genus name comes from the Kimberley region in Western Australia, where the type species was found, prefixed to the existing genus name Nitocrella . Gender feminine.