Ceratothoa argus (Haswell, 1881)

Hadfield, Kerry A., Bruce, Niel L. & Smit, Nico J., 2016, Redescription of poorly known species of Ceratothoa Dana, 1852 (Crustacea, Isopoda, Cymothoidae), based on original type material, ZooKeys 592, pp. 39-91 : 65-66

Taxon classification Animalia Isopoda Cymothoidae

Ceratothoa argus (Haswell, 1881) nomen dubium

Codonophilus argus Haswell, 1881: 471, pl. XVI, fig. 1; 1882: 283; 1885: 1001.- Stebbing 1893: 356.- Hale 1926: 223-226.- Barnard 1940: 404.- Trilles 1972c: 5, 7.

Holotype.

Deposition unknown.

Distribution.

Australia ( Haswell 1881).

Hosts.

Under the bell of a Rhizostoma (see Haswell 1881).

Remarks.

This species was described from an immature specimen (4 mm in length) in only a few sentences and a single figure. It was found under the bell of a Rhizostoma in Port Jackson (Sydney, New South Wales) and noted as being similar to Aegathoa in many ways, but differed in the sudden narrowing of the body at the commencement of the pleon, and the uniramous character of the caudal appendages. Hale (1926) synonymised Ceratothoa argus with Ceratothoa imbricata as it appeared similar to the brood young of Ceratothoa imbricata and according to the label it was also reported as coming from the jelly blubber, Catostylus mosaicus (recorded as Catostylus mosaicus ).

Due to the species being based on a single immature specimen (as well as a lack of a type specimen and an incomplete description), this species is hereby considered nomen dubium.