Boca normae, Ortiz, Manuel, Winfield, Ignacio & Varela, Carlos, 2012

Ortiz, Manuel, Winfield, Ignacio & Varela, Carlos, 2012, First records of peracarid crustaceans from the Cayo Matias Ocean Blue Hole, SW Cuba, with the description of two new species, Zootaxa 3505, pp. 53-66 : 60-64

Boca normae n. sp.

( Figs 5–7 )

Material examined. Holotype. Adult female with oostegites, length 1.5 mm, presence of an embryo, (ANC07.1.3.011–Acuario Nacional de Cuba), associated with filamentous algae at a depth of 20 m, from the Cayo Matias Blue Hole, SW Cuba, 22°07’06”N, 81°30’45”W, Carlos Varela coll., 18 July 2010.

Diagnosis. Head short with big ovoid eyes. Antenna 1 with an accessory flagellum with 2 articles, second 0.5 times length of first. Epistome and upper lip fused. Mandible with mobile plate represented by one seta; molar rounded without setae; article 3 of mandibular palp with 2 distal setae, 8 long parallel setae and 5 very short setae on distal half. Maxilla 1 with 7 setae on outer lobe. Gnathopod 1 subchelate, article 7 almost straight. Coxa 1 reduced. Coxae 2 and 3 similar in shape and size. Coxa 5 with posteroventral lobe. Coxa 6 with reduced posteroventral lobe. Pereopods with anterodistal spur on article 6, article 7 ending in nail. Inner ramus of uropod 3 shorter than outer. Telson with lobes slightly separated. Gills sack-shaped without folds. Oostegites short and without setae.

Description. Body without setae, gnathopods and pereopods with few setae. Head shorter than pereonite 1; compound eye with big ommatidia occupying half of head; rostrum absent; lateral cephalic lobe big and at right angle ( Fig. 5 A, B).

Antenna 1 subequal in length to head, 2 first segments of pereon combined; peduncle subequal in length to flagellum; 3 distoventral sensorial callinophores; article 2 of accessory flagellum with 2 terminal setae more than half length of main flagellum, this with 3 articles ( Fig. 5 E).

Antenna 2 subequal in length to antenna 1; distoventral angle of article 4 of peduncle forming a small lobe directed towards front; flagellum with 4 articles ( Fig. 5 D).

Mouthpart bundle quadrangular in lateral view.

Mandible incisor with four teeth surrounding one big and central tooth; accesory setae absent; palp inserted in mandibular medial zone, 3 articles, first two without setae, article 3, 0.75 times length of second article, 1 A-3 seta, 3 submarginal B-3 setae, 12 B-3 setae ( Fig. 5 C).

Maxilla 1 with narrow inner lobe, 3 distal setae with setules; outer lobe widened, with 7 robust setae; ST1 long; ST 2, ST4 and ST7 short; STA and STD short; palp with 2 articles, second longer than first, with 3 robust setae toothed distally ( Fig. 5 H).

Maxilla 2 with outer lobe with 8 distal setae, one long and strong; inner lobe short, armed with 7 simple setae, 2 with setules ( Fig. 5 F).

Maxilliped with inner lobe 0.5 times length of outer lobe, 3 apical setae; outer lobe foliaceous, 3 small subdistal setae; palp 2 articles; article 2 shorter than 1; one short seta and one long seta ( Fig. 5 G).

Gnathopod 1 article 2 longer than others combined; one short robust posterodistal seta; article 3 with one long robust posterodistal seta; posterior margin of article 4 with tuft of 3 small and one long setae; article 5 forming small posterior lobe, armed with 4 long setae; article 6 oval with 2 short distal setae; distal half of palm margin with 4 short setae and setules; article 7 half length of 6 ( Fig. 6 A).

Gnathopod 2 article 2 elongate and slightly curved backwards; article 3 with small posterodistal seta; article 4 short, with one long posterior seta; article 5 0.33 times longer than 6, anterior margin with 3 long setae, 12 long setae on posterior margin; article 6 forming small anterior lobe with 4 long setae, long setae on both margins, small chela; article 7 transformed into a diminutive mobile finger ( Fig. 6 B).

Pereopod 3 article 2 narrow, subequal in length to articles 3, 4 and 5 combined; article 6 two times length of article 5, one posterodistal spur; article 7 with nail ( Fig. 6 C).

Pereopod 4 similar to previous pereopod, anterior margin of article 6 with 2 small subdistal tubercles ( Fig. 6 D).

Pereopods 5–7 article 2 widened, forming posterior lobe.

Pereopod 5 anterior margin of article 2 with 4 robust setae; article 4 with one robust anterodistal seta ( Fig. 6 E).

Pereopod 6 anterior margin of article 2 with 3 robust setae, 3 on posterior margin; article 4 with one robust posterodistal seta ( Fig. 7 A).

Pereopod 7 article 2 quadrangular, posterodistally narrow; anterior margin with 3 robust setae, posterior margin with 3 posterior robust setae; articles 3, 4 and 5 with one robust anterodistal seta ( Fig. 7 B).

Uropod 1 rami longer than peduncle, one long robust seta on posterodistal angle of peduncle; rami subequal in length, outer ramus finely serrate on both sides ( Fig. 7 C).

Uropod 2 rami longer than peduncle, one short robust seta on posterodistal angle of peduncle; rami subequal in length, outer ramus finely serrate on posterior margin, inner ramus distally serrate on posterior margin ( Fig. 7 D).

Uropod 3 peduncle with 2 short robust posterodistal setae, as long as inner ramus; outer ramus with 2 articles, article 1 subequal in length to inner ramus; article 2 less than half length of article 1, posterior margin finely serrate; article 2 of outer ramus with posterior margin serrate ( Fig. 7 E).

Telson subrectangular, deeply cleft; lobes obliquely truncate, with a short robust seta subdistally and minute seta marginally on apex of both lobes ( Fig. 7 F).

Epimeron 2–3 with ventral margin rounded, posteriorly angular ( Fig. 6 F).

Remarks. Boca normae n. sp. differs from B. megachela in that the dactylus of gnathopod 1 reaches the middle of the palm margin, the mandibular palp lacks setae on article 2, article 3 is very setose, coxa 2 has no anterior cleft, and article 2 of the accessory flagellum is elongate. In B. megachela , the dactylus of gnathopod 2 fixes the palm completely, the mandibular palp has a distal seta on article 2, and article 3 has 2 distal setae. Compared with B. elvae , Boca normae n. sp. has an ovoid and large eye, whereas the eye in B. elvae is small and circular. Also, coxae 1, 2 and 3 have a spiny margin, and the anterior margin of articles 4, 5 and 6 of gnathopod 1 bear robust setae. Finally, it is different from B. campi in that it has a larger eye, article 2 of the accessory flagellum of antenna 1 is elongate, article 4 of antenna 2 forms a distal posterior lobe, the mandibular palp has no setae on article 2, article 3 is more setose, article 2 of the outer lobe of the maxilliped has a very long distal seta, and the inner lobe is half the length of the outer lobe. Boca campi has a smaller eye, article 2 of the accessory flagellum is shorter, article 4 of antenna 2 does not form a distal posterior lobe, the mandibular palp has 2 setae on article 2, article 3 has 2 distal setae, article 2 of the outer lobe of the maxilliped has short setae, and the inner lobe is less than half the length of the outer lobe.

Boca normae n. sp. constitutes the first record of the genus for the Caribbean Sea, Cuban waters, and for a blue hole worldwide. This result confirms the endemism of the genus Boca in the Tropical Western Atlantic that includes the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea.

Etymology. This species is named in honor to Norma Montes Rodriguez, wife of the first author.

Additional records. The following peracarid crustaceans were collected from the Cayo Matias Blue Hole, SW Cuba, 22°07’06”N, 81°30’45”W, Carlos Varela coll., 18 July 2010) together with Gnathia micheli n. sp. and Boca normae n. sp.

Figures

FIGURE 5. Boca normae n. sp. Holotype. A, lateral view of body; B, head; C, left mandible; D, antenna 2; E, antenna 1; F, maxilla 2; G, maxilliped; H, maxilla 1.

FIGURE 6. Boca normae n. sp. Holotype. A, gnathopod 1; B, gnathopod 2; C, pereopod 3; D, pereopod 4; E, pereopod 5; F, epimera 2 – 3.

FIGURE 7. Boca normae n. sp. Holotype. A, pereopod 6; B, pereopod 7; C, uropod 1; D, uropod 2; E, uropod 3; F, telson.