Niphargus sharifi, Esmaeili-Rineh, Somayeh, Sari, Alireza & Fišer, Cene, 2015

Esmaeili-Rineh, Somayeh, Sari, Alireza & Fišer, Cene, 2015, Making future taxonomy of Niphargus (Crustacea: Amphipoda: Niphargidae) in the Middle East easier: DELTA database of Middle East species with description of four new species from Iran, Zootaxa 4020 (3), pp. 401-430 : 419-424

Niphargus sharifi sp. nov.

(Figs 14–17)

Material examined and type locality. Holotype, male ZUTC Amph.2332. Sarab-e-Robat ( Fig. 1 ), Khoram-Abad city, Lorestan Province, Iran (33°35′N, 48°18′E). Five male paratypes, ZUTC Amph.2348.

Diagnosis. Maxilla I with pluritooth robust setae on outer lobe. Propods of gnathopods longer than broad; in palmar corner more than one supporting robust seta (multiple supporting robust setae). Dactyli of pereopods with single robust seta at the base of nail. Epimeral plates not produced postero-distally. No sexual dimorphism in uropods was detected.

Description of holotype. Body length 19 mm. Body stout. Head length 15% of body length.

Antennae I (fig. 14A). Antenna I 0.48 of body length. Peduncular articles 1–3 progressively shorter; length of peduncular article 3 more than half of peduncular article 2; main flagellum with 32 articles (most of which with short setae); accessory flagellum bi-articulated and not reaching beyond one-third of article 2 of main flagellum; second articles with two simple setae (fig. 14A).

Antennae II (fig. 14B). Antenna II as long as 0.47 antenna I. Peduncular article 5 shorter than article 4, ratio between articles 4:5 equal to 1.15: 1:, each peduncular article with six groups of simple setae. Flagellum with 14 articles, approximately 0.68 of length of peduncle articles 4 + 5.

Labium (fig. 15B) with inner lobes.

Maxilla I (fig. 14 F–G). Inner plate with three long simple setae, outer plate with seven long robust setae of which four with more than five and three with five lateral projections; palp bi-articulated, long, with three long distal simple setae.

Maxilla II (fig. 14H). Both plates with numerous long distal simple setae.

Mandibular palp (fig. 14E). Ratio of mandibular palp articles 1: 2: 3 equal to 1: 2.58: 2.75, no setae on first article; second article with eight long simple setae medially; third article with one group of three A-setae, six groups of B-setae, no C-setae, 25 D-setae and five E-setae.

Left mandible (fig. 14C). Incisor with five teeth, lacinia mobilis with four teeth; 10 setae with lateral projections between lacinia and triturative molar.

Right mandible (fig. 14D). Incisor with four teeth, lacinia mobilis pluritooth.

Maxilliped (fig. 15A). Inner plate short; distally five robust setae intermixed with 10 simple setae; outer plate exceeding half of posterior margin of palp article 2, with 13 marginal robust setae and four distal simple setae. Palp article 3 at outer margin with one proximal, distal and medial group of long simple setae. Distal palp article with one simple seta along outer margin and two tiny setae at the base of nail, nail shorter than pedestal.

Gnathopod I (fig. 15C). Coxa of gnathopod I smaller than gnathopod II. Coxa trapezoid, broader than long, ventral and anterior margins with three and five simple setae, respectively. Anterior and posterior margins of basis with numerous single setae; ischium and merus with one posterior group of setae. Carpus with one group of setae antero-distally. Posterior part of carpus with setae on proximal bulbous and along postero-medial margin. Carpus 0.84 of basis length and 0.8 of propodus length. Posteriorly, propodus slightly rounded, longer than broad with slightly produced palmar corner. Anterior margin with 15 setae in three groups in addition to antero-distal group with 10 setae. Medial surface of propodus with several setae; palm slightly convex, with one strong long palmar robust seta, three short supporting robust seta on inner surface and with four short robust setae with lateral projections on outer surface. In addition, there are two setae under supporting robust seta in palmar corner. Dactylus reaching posterior margin of propodus, outer and inner margins with a row of four and five simple setae, respectively, nail short, length 0.27 of total dactylus length.

FIGURE 14. Niphargus sharifi , sp. nov., Sarab-e-Robat, male 19 mm (holotype). A, A1; B, A2; C, LMND; D, RMND; E, MNDP; F–G, MX 1; H, MX 2. Scale bars: 1= 0.25 mm (C–D); 2= 0.5 mm (E–H); 3= 1mm (A–B).

FIGURE 15. Niphargus sharifi , sp. nov., Sarab-e-Robat, male 19 mm (holotype). A, MXP; B, L; C, GN 1; D, GN 2. Scale bars: 1= 0.5 mm (A–B); 2= 1mm (C–D).

Gnathopod II (fig. 15D). Coxa II rectangular, with four simple setae on ventral margin. Posterior margin of basis with groups of setae and anterior margin with single setae, posterior margin of ischium and merus with one posterior group of setae. Carpus 0.45 of basis length and 0.75 of propodus length; carpus with single antero-distal group of simple setae, posteriorly with setae on proximal bulbous and along postero-medial margin. Propodus II larger and broader than propodus of gnathopod I, rectangular, slightly longer than broad. Anterior margin of propodus with six simple setae in two groups in addition to six antero-distal setae; medial surface with few setae. Palm slightly convex, with one long strong palmar robust seta, three robust setae with lateral projections on outer surface, and with two smooth robust setae on inner surface under supporting robust seta in palmar corner two simple setae. Dactylus not reaching posterior margin of propodus, inner margins of dactylus with six single simple setae; outer margins of dactylus with two single and two pairs of simple setae (six setae in total), nail length 0.3 of total dactylus length.

Coxae III–VII (fig. 16A–E). Coxa III Length to width ratio equal to 1.51: 1, ventro- posterior margins of coxa III with three simple setae. Length to width ratio in coxa IV 1.37: 1, ventral margin with two simple and two robust setae, posterior margin with three simple setae, posterior concavity well expressed and approximately 0.15 of coxa width (fig. 16A–B). Coxa V with anteriorly developed lobe, with one simple seta in anterior lobe. Coxa VI with anteriorly developed lobe, with one simple seta in posterior lobe. Coxa VII with one simple seta in posterior margin (fig. 16C–E).

Pereopods III–VII (fig. 16A–E). Pereopod III longer than IV with length ratio of 1.03: 1 (fig. 16A, B); dactyli of pereopods III–IV short, with one robust seta at inner margin and with one simple seta at outer margin, length of dactylus 0.35 of propodus. Nail shorter than pedestal (fig. 16B).

Pereopods V–VII. Length ratios V: VI: VII equal to 1: 1.26: 1.18. Pereopod VII 0.48 of body length. Bases in pereopods V–VII with eight, seven and six groups of robust setae and nine, 10 and 10 short simple setae along anterior and posterior margins (fig. 16C, E). Postero-ventral lobe of ischium in pereopods V–VII developed. Ischium, merus and carpus in pereopods V–VII with several groups of robust and simple setae on anterior and posterior margins; propodus of pereopod VII slightly longer than those in V and VI, dactyli of pereopods V–VII similar to pereopod III, nail length of pereopod VII 0.32 of total dactylus length (fig. 16C–E).

Pereonites I–VII. No setae.

Pleonites I–III. Each with five to 12 simple setae.

FIGURE 17. Niphargus sharifi , sp. nov., Sarab-e-Robat, male 19 mm (holotype). A, PL 1; B, PL 2; C, PL 3; D, USM; E, U2; F, U 3; G, EP 1–3; H, T. Scale bars: 1= 0.5 mm (G–H); 2= 1mm (A–E); 3= 2mm (F).

Pleopods I–III (fig. 17A–C). Peduncle of pleopods I–III with two hooked retinacula at distal part of inner margin; peduncle of pleopod III with one simple seta in distal surface; rami of pleopods I–III with 15 articles, 14– 16 articles and 12–14 articles, respectively.

Epimeral plates I–III (fig. 17G). postero-ventral corner angular, posterior and ventral margins concave and convex, respectively; posterior margins of plates I–III each with one robust seta and with one, five and six simple setae respectively; ventral margin of plates II and III each with two robust setae.

Urosomites I–II. With one and three robust setae dorso-laterally, respectively. At the base of uropod I strong and robust seta.

Urosomite III. Without robust setae dorso-laterally.

Uropods I–III (fig. 17D–F). Peduncle in uropod I with six and three large robust setae in dorso-lateral and dorso-medial margins, respectively. Ratio of inner to outer ramus length 1.05: 1. Inner ramus with four robust setae laterally and five robust setae distally. Outer ramus with five groups of robust setae laterally and five single robust setae distally (fig. 17D). Inner ramus in uropod II slightly longer than outer, both rami with lateral and distal long robust setae (fig. 17E). Uropod III normal, almost 0.35 of body length. Peduncle of uropod III with six robust setae distally. Proximal article of outer ramus with five groups of robust and simple setae along inner and outer margin (fig. 17F). Distal article of outer ramus short; second to first article ratio 1: 6; distal article with marginal simple setae and two distal simple setae. Inner ramus short, with two distal robust setae and one lateral robust seta.

Telson (fig. 17H) as long as broad, deeply cleft, each lobe with three long robust setae and with one simple seta distally and with two long simple setae marginally.

Etymology. The species is named in honor of Professor Mozafar Sharifi , Razi University of Kermanshah, Iran who dedicated his research to the study of cave dwelling animals of Iran.

Remarks and affinities. Niphargus sharifi is diagnosed by unique combination of pluritooth robust setae on outer lobe of maxilla I and multiple supporting robust setae. As discussed earlier, multiple supporting robust setae in palmar corner have been described only once in Europe ( Karaman 1952), but we found these in three species in Iran. However, neither N. kenki , N. bisitunicus nor N. borisi share pluritooth maxilla I.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Distribution map of the genus Niphargus in Iran and Middle East.