Paranikione, An & Boyko & Li, 2015

An, Jianmei, Boyko, Christopher B. & Li, Xinzheng, 2015, A Review Of Bopyrids (Crustacea: Isopoda: Bopyridae) Parasitic On Caridean Shrimps (Crustacea: Decapoda: Caridea) From China, Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 2015 (399), pp. 1-85 : 23

Paranikione , n. gen.

DIAGNOSIS: Female: Body asymmetrical. Head wider than long, with well-developed frontal lamina. Barbula with two pairs of smooth lateral projections. All pereomeres with coxal plates, first four with dorsolateral bosses. Brood pouch open; internal ridge of oostegite 1 smooth. Pleon with six segments, five pairs of pleopods and tuberculate biramous uropods.

Male: Body segments distinct, pereomeres subequal in width, pleon with five pairs of tuberculate pleopods, sixth pleomere with posterolateral uropods.

TYPE SPECIES: Paranikione sibogae , n. sp., by original designation.

OTHER SPECIES: Paranikione distorta , n. sp.

ETYMOLOGY: Paranikione refers to the close relationship of the new genus to Nikione Kensley, 1974 . The genus name is feminine.

REMARKS: Females of both species of Paranikione , n. gen., have a well-developed frontal lamina, coxal plates on all pereomeres and pleomeres, and biramous pleopods and uropods. These two species are allied to the monotypic genera Nikione and Urobopyrus Richardson, 1904 , which also infest processid shrimp. The new genus is most closely related to Nikione , but differs in that females of Nikione have only five pleomeres while those of Paranikione , n. gen., have six distinct pleomeres. The key characteristic of Urobopyrus is that the female has no lateral plates on the pleomeres, but species of Paranikione , n. gen., have well-developed lateral plates on all pleomeres.