Gigacuma, KURIAN, 1951

Haye, Pilar A., 2007, Systematics of the genera of Bodotriidae (Crustacea: Cumacea), Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 151 (1), pp. 1-58 : 27

GIGACUMA KURIAN, 1951

Type species: Gigacuma halei Kurian, 1951

Body: Carapace shorter than abdomen and peraeon; abdomen longer than carapace and peraeon together.

Cephalothorax: From dorsal view the carapace may be laterally compressed anteriorly. Pseudorostral lappets may extend beyond frontal lobe towards midline but do not meet (or partially meet leaving a suture between them). Antennal notch as a depression or as a subacute incision. Anterolateral corner bluntly rounded or with subacute tooth. Frontal lobe 1/5 or less of the carapace length; as wide as long; anteriorly linguiform; with ocular pigment and eye lenses.

Antenna 1 with basal article of the peduncle straight; same length or shorter than the other two articles together. Main flagellum bi-articulated; may have two aesthetascs in distal-most article and/or a group of aesthetascs on proximal article. Accessory flagellum bi-articulated; with brush of setae. Antenna 2 in males reaching end of pleon; with sensory setae on anterior margin of article 4. Antenna 2 in females with three articles.

Maxilliped 3 basis straight or arcuate; extended dorso-distally over ischium beyond the articulation of the ischium and merus. Ischium shorter or same size as merus. Merus expanded laterally. Carpus oviform; equal to or shorter than propodus and dactylus together. Propodus distally widened; with a brush of setae.

Peraeon: First peraeonite visible only above lateral midline. Peraeonite 2 may have ventrolateral expansion overriding peraeonite 1 and/or carapace or not overriding other somites. Peraeonite 3 extended backwards overriding peraeonite 4 or forward and backwards overriding peraeonites 2 and 4. Peraeonite 4 with ventrolateral expansion overriding peraeonite 5.

Females and males with fully developed exopods on peraeopods 1 and 2. Peraeopod 1 with basis arcuate, with row of setae, slightly projected ventrally; brush (3 or more) of long setae on the propodus (setae longer than carpus); carpus shorter than propodus. Peraeopod 2 with ischium; dactylus longer than propodus. Peraeopod 4 with ischium.

Pleon: Pleonite 6 longer than wide; longer than or as long as peduncle of uropod. Wide portion of distal end of pleonite 6 slightly extended past the insertion of the uropods and apex rounded.

Uropod endopod bi-articulated; proximal article shorter than distal one. Uropod exopod with proximal article shorter than distal one. Peduncle of uropods slightly longer than rami; rami approximately same length. Males with five pairs of pleopods. Pleopodal endopod without process.

Species included:

1. G. halei Kurian, 1951

Distribution: Indo-West Pacific from 7 to 27 m.