Caprella cf. ciliata G.O. Sars, 1883

Guerra-García, José M., Tato, Ramiro & Moreira, Juan, 2018, Caprellidae (Crustacea: Peracarida: Amphipoda) from deep-sea waters off Galicia (NW Iberian Peninsula) with the description of a new genus and three new species, Zootaxa 4532 (2), pp. 151-202 : 153-155

Caprella cf. ciliata G.O. Sars, 1883

( Fig. 1 )

Caprella ciliata G.O. Sars, 1883: 114 –115, pl. 6: fig. 9.— Mayer, 1890: 70.— Sars, 1895: 665 –666, pl. 239, fig. 2.— Mayer, 1903: 34.— McCain & Steinberg, 1970: 15.—Laubitz, 1972: 31, pl.5, figs. A–K.— Larsen, 1998: 82.

Material examined. DIVA-Artabria I 2002: 1 female, AT-600, 11 September 2002, 43°53.457’N, 008°48.461’W, 631 m, rocky bottom with carbonated nodules; 1 male, AT-800, 11 September 2002, 43°47.188’N, 008°53.053’W, 842 m, rocky bottom; 2 females DRN-600, 11 September 2002, 43°48.340’N, 008°51.485’W, 688 m, rocky bottom; 1 female, 1 juvenile, DRN-800, 11 September 2002, 43°51.265’N, 008°54.480’W, 827 m, rocky bottom. DIVA- Artabria I 2003: 1 male, EBS-600, 18 September 2003, 43°48.587’N, 008°51.402’W, 610 m, sand; 6 males, 6 females, 1 juvenile (1 male and 1 female used for lateral view figures MHNUSC 25106 ), DRN-600 , 18 September 2003, 43°48.421’N, 008°51.453’W, 607 m, rocky bottom. VERTIDOS 2004: 1 female, AG-AT 400-04, 19 September 2004, 42°31.433’N, 009°25.693’W, 446 m, rocky bottom. DIVA-Artabria II 2008: 3 males, 1 female, 31-EBS, 25 September 2008, 43°23.220’N, 009°32.300’W, 862 m, nodules and rocks; 2 females, 07-DRN-P, 20 September 2008, 43°24.95’N, 09°25.50’W, 490 m, nodules; SELVA 2008 : 4 males, 2 juveniles, DRN-7 19 July 2008, 44°11.652’N, 008°58.152’W, 1106 m, sand with corals; 1 male, 1 female, 1 juvenile, DRN-17, 23 July 2008, 43°42.289’N, 008°49.804’W, 629 m, gravel with carbonate crusts mixed with stones and mud; 1 female, DRN-30- 1, 23 July 2008, 43°48.511’N, 008°51.393’W, 576 m, carbonate crusts; 1 female, 1 juvenile, DRN-11, 18 July 2008, 44°09.896’N, 008°39.581’W, 459 m, stones mixed with sand.

Remarks. The species was described by Sars (1893, 1895) based on material collected from Norway. Sars (1895) considered C. ciliata as a typical deep-sea species (‘it is a true deep-water form, only occurring in depths ranging from 50 to 100 fathoms’). Although the descriptions and figures of Sars are incomplete, the diagnostic character of the species in males is very clear: male gnathopod 2 is totally covered by very fine setae and has a distinct shape (see Sars, 1895: pl. 239). Laubitz (1972) designated a lectotype from Sars’s material deposited in the Oslo Museum (No. F 12537a) and provided figures of lateral view. Our specimens agree with the descriptions and figures of Sars (1883, 1895) and Laubitz (1972), especially regarding the setose gnathopod 2 in males, the elongate body, and the shape and size of the gills (with the second pair being smaller than the first pair). However, although Sars (1895) indicates in the description that the species has ‘the back smooth throughout’ and the figure of Laubitz (1972) does not show any tubercles, some of our specimens are provided by small dorsal turbercles on head to pereonite 3 both in males and females. Furthermore, our specimens seem to be slightly smaller since the material collected from Galician waters does not exceed 10 mm while Sars (1895) described a male with 13 mm. In spite of these differences in body tuberculation and size between the type material and Galician specimens, we have preferred not to erect a new species since the diagnostic characters are identical among specimens and these minor differences could be probably attributed to intraespecific variation. Further molecular studies could help to explore genetic differentiation between the northernmost populations and the Galician specimens.

Distribution. The species has been recorded from Norway, Sweeden, Denmark, Island and Alaska ( McCain & Steinberg, 1970; Laubitz, 1972). Larsen (1998) recorded the species from Faroe Islands and the present study represents the southernmost record of this deep-sea species.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Caprella cf. ciliata G.O. Sars, 1883. Lateral view of male and female.