Niphargus daniali, Esmaeili-Rineh & Sari, 2013

Esmaeili-Rineh, Somayeh & Sari, Alireza, 2013, Two new species of Niphargus Schiödte, 1849 (Crustacea: Amphipoda: Niphargidae) from two caves in Iran, Journal of Natural History 47 (41 - 42), pp. 2649-2669 : 2658-2664

Niphargus daniali sp. nov.

( Figures 7–10 )

Type material

Holotype: Male from Danial cave , Mazandaran province, (36 ◦ 41 ′ N, 50 ◦ 53 ′ E), October 2009, ( ZUTC Amph. 2323) and four juvenile paratypes ( ZUTC Amph. 2324). All collected by Boris Sket.

Diagnosis

First article of mandibular palp with two simple setae. Third article of mandibular palp with two groups of A-setae, one of these in atypical position. Pleonites I–III with many hairy setae along dorsal surface. Epimeral plates I–III with rounded posteroventral corner. Each of urosomites I and II postero-dorsolaterally with one robust seta and urosomite III without setae. Telson broad, with very long robust setae distally, laterally and dorsally. Peduncle of pleopods I and II with seven and five long simple setae.

Description of holotype

Total length 7 mm. Body slender, head length up to 10% of body length; rostrum absent ( Figure 7C ).

Antennae I ( Figure 7A ). 0.45–0.5 of body length. Peduncular articles 1–3 progressively shorter; peduncular article 3 more than half of peduncular article 2, all sparsely setose; main flagellum with 18 articles (most of which with several long setae), articles with up to one aesthetasc; accessory flagellum almost reaching middle of article 2, biarticulated and each with two simple setae laterally.

Antennae II ( Figure 7B ). Antenna I length two as long as antenna II (ratio 3.58: 1.72). Peduncular article 5 shorter than 4 in ratio (0.43: 0.51), each with groups of long simple setae ( Figure 7B ); flagellum with nine articles, approximately 0.80–0.83 of the length of the articles 4 + 5.

Maxilla I ( Figure 7D, E ). Inner plate with eight long simple setae, outer plate with seven long robust setae of which four with one, one with three and two without lateral projections; palp biarticulated, long, with four long distal simple setae and one lateral simple seta ( Figure 7D ).

Maxilla II ( Figure 8E ). Both plates with numerous distal long simple setae.

Mandibular palp ( Figure 7F ). First article with two long simple setae; second article with 11 long simple setae; third article longer than second (ratio 0.30: 0.27), with two A groups of four setae, two groups of B-setae, no C-setae, 17 D-setae and five E-setae.

Right mandible ( Figure 7G ). With four incisor teeth, lacinia mobilis pluriteeth, eight setae with lateral projections between lacinia and triturative molar.

Left mandible ( Figure 7H ). With five incisor teeth, lacinia mobilis with four teeth, seven setae with lateral projections between lacinia and triturative molar.

Maxilliped ( Figure 8F ). Inner plate short, with three distal robust setae intermixed with five simple setae; outer plate not exceeding half of posterior margin of palp article 2, with eight robust setae marginally and five simple setae distally; palp article 3 at outer margin with one proximal group of long simple setae and three medial long simple setae ( Figure 8F ); dactylus with nail shorter than pedestal.

Gnathopod I ( Figure 8A, B ). Gnathopod I smaller than gnathopod II. Coxa rectangular, longer than broad, anterior and ventral margins of coxa I with four and three simple setae, respectively; basis with single and one group of setae in posterior margin; basis, ischium, merus and carpus with one posteroventral group of setae; anterior margin of carpus with distal group of setae, carpus with large bulge, carpus length 0.65–0.68 of basis and 0.84–0.86 of propodus ( Figure 8A ); propodus rectangular, longer than broad, anterior margin with 11 setae in two groups in addition to five anterodistal setae ( Figure 8A ); palm slightly convex; with one strong long palmar robust seta, one short supporting robust seta on inner surface and two robust setae with lateral projections on outer surface, four setae under supporting robust seta in palmar corner ( Figure 8B ). Dactylus reaching posterior margin of propodus, bearing row of seven long marginal setae along outer margin, nail length 0.3–0.34 of dactylus.

Gnathopod II ( Figure 8C, D ). Basis in gnathopod II longer than gnathopod I, with setae in posterior and anterior margins, basis length: width ratio 0.82: 0.26; carpus 0.49–0.5 of basis length and 0.9–0.95 of propodus length, a bulge with long simple setae; propodus large, subquadrangular, anterior margin with six simple setae in two groups in addition to five to seven anteriodistal setae, palm slightly convex, with one strong palmar robust seta, one short supporting robust seta on inner surface and one robust seta with lateral projections on outer surface, four setae under supporting robust seta in palmar corner ( Figure 8D ). Dactylus reaching posterior margin of propodus, outer margin of dactylus with eight setae as groups and single, nail length 0.25–0.28 of total dactylus length ( Figure 8C ).

Coxae III–VII ( Figure 9A–E ). Coxa III slightly longer than broad (ratios 0.59: 0.51), with eight antero-ventroposterior simple setae ( Figure 9A ); coxa IV broader than long in ratio (1.01: 1.09), with five or six anteroventral simple setae. Coxae V and VII short, coxa V with anteriorly developed lobe, one seta in posterior lobe; coxa VII with five ventral and posterior setae ( Figure 9C–E ).

Pereopods III–VII ( Figure 9A–E ). Pereopod III shorter than pereopod IV with ratio of 1.23: 1.99 ( Figure 9A, B ); dactyli normal, with one robust seta at inner margin of pereopods III and IV, nail length 0.42–0.47 of total dactylus length in pereopod III and IV. Length ratios of pereopods V–VII 2.56: 3.5: 3.72, respectively; Bases V–VII length to width ratios 1: 0.64: 0.7, posterior margin straight and with 6: 7: 7 groups of robust setae, respectively, anteriorly with 13: 12 simple setae in pereopods VI–VII and intermixed simple and robust setae in pereopod V; dactylus of pereopods V–VII with one robust seta in inner margin, with one simple seta in outer margin of pereopod VI ( Figure 9C–E ).

Pleonites I–III. With many setae along posterodorsal margin.

Epimeral plates I–III ( Figure 8G ). Ventral margin of plates I–III convex, posteroventral corner of plates I–III slightly rounded; epimeral plates I–III slightly sinusoid posteriorly, each with one robust seta in posterior margins; epimeral plates II and III with three and two robust setae at ventral margin, respectively.

Pleopods I–III ( Figure 10A–C ). Peduncle of pleopod I with one simple seta in inner margin, with seven long simple and two hooked setae along outer margin ( Figure 10A ); peduncle of pleopod II with five long simple setae and two hooked setae in outer margin ( Figure 10B ); peduncle of pleopod III with one simple seta and two hooked setae along distal part of inner margin and two simple setae in outer margin; each ramus of pleopods I–III with eight to twelve articles ( Figure 10C ).

Urosomites I and II. Each with one simple seta postero-dorsolaterally, urosomite III without setae.

Uropods I–III ( Figure 10D–F ). Peduncle in uropod I with four dorsolateral and three dorsomedial robust setae, inner ramus longer than outer in ratio (0.45: 0.41), inner ramus with only one robust seta laterally and four robust setae distally, outer ramus with three groups of five robust setae laterally and four robust setae distally ( Figure 10D ). Peduncle in uropod II with two long dorsomedial robust setae, inner ramus markedly longer than outer, each of which with one lateral robust setae ( Figure 10E ). Uropod III, simple, ratio 0.17–0.23 of body length; peduncle with two robust setae laterally and seven robust setae and three simple setae distally. First article of outer ramus with five groups of long robust and simple setae along outer margin, inner margin with four groups of long simple and robust setae ( Figure 10F ); second article of outer ramus short, each with three simple setae at inner margin, with one robust and simple seta at outer margin; inner ramus short, with two distal simple setae.

Telson ( Figure 10G ). Slightly shorter than broad (ratio 0.21: 0.26), each with four distal long robust setae, one robust and simple seta marginally and one robust seta dorsally, telson cleft, longest distal robust seta length 0.52 and 0.95 of length of telson.

Etymology

The name “ daniali ” refers to the type locality, Danial cave in Mazandaran province, Iran .

Figures

Figure 7. Niphargus daniali sp. nov., male 7 mm (holotype, ZUTC Amph. 2323). (A) Antenna I; (B) antenna II; (C) head; (D, E) maxilla I; (F) mandibular palp; (G) Right mandible; (H) left mandible. Scale bars: 1 = 0.25 mm (G, H); 2 = 0.5 mm (C–F); 3 = 1 mm (A, B).

Figure 8. Niphargus daniali sp. nov., male 7 mm (holotype, ZUTC Amph. 2323). (A, B) Gnathopod I; (C, D) gnathopod II; (E) maxilla II; (F) maxilliped; (G) epimeral plates I–III. Scale bars: 1 = 0.5 mm (E–G); 2 = 1 mm (A–D).

Figure 9. Niphargus daniali sp. nov., male 7 mm (holotype, ZUTC Amph. 2323). (A) Pereopod III; (B) pereopod IV; (C) pereopod V; (D) pereopod VI; (E) pereopod VII. Scale bars: 1 = 1 mm (A–E).

Figure 10. Niphargus daniali sp. nov., male 7 mm (holotype, ZUTC Amph. 2323). (A) Pleopod I; (B) pleopod II; (C) pleopod III; (D) uropod I; (E) uropod II; (F) uropod III; (G) telson. Scale bars: 1 = 0.5 mm (G); 2 = 1 mm (A–E); 3 = 2 mm (F).