Bacescuma, PETRESCU, 1998

Haye, Pilar A., 2007, Systematics of the genera of Bodotriidae (Crustacea: Cumacea), Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 151 (1), pp. 1-58 : 14

BACESCUMA PETRESCU, 1998

Type species: Bacescuma tanzaniense Petrescu, 1998

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

Cephalothorax: From dorsal view the carapace appears laterally compressed anteriorly. Carapace with mid-dorsal ridge and lateral ridges. Pseudorostral lappets extend beyond frontal lobe and extend 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. Frontal lobe 1/4 of carapace length; as wide as long; anteriorly linguiform; with ocular pigment and eye lenses.

Antenna 1 with basal article of the peduncle arcuate; as long as the other two articles together. Main flagellum bi-articulated; with two aesthetascs in distal-most article. Accessory flagellum uni-articulated. Antenna 2 in males reaching almost the end of pleon. Antenna 2 in females with two articles.

Maxilliped 3 basis arcuate; extended dorsodistally over ischium beyond the articulation of the ischium and merus. Ischium as long as merus. Carpus distally widened; equal to or shorter than propodus and dactylus together. Propodus proximally widened.

Peraeon: First peraeonite visible only in males. Peraeonite 2 proportional to or wider than other peraeonites; with ventrolateral expansion not overriding other somites.

Peraeopod 1 with basis arcuate; may have inner apical angle extended to form a convex process. Carpus longer than propodus. Peraeopod 2 with ischium; dactylus longer than propodus. Peraeopod 4 with ischium.

Pleon: Pleonite 6 longer than wide; shorter than peduncle of uropod. Whole width of terminal end of pleonite 6 slightly extended between the bases of the uropods; ending in a point. Anal plates extend posteriorly beyond distal margin of pleonite six.

Uropod endopod uni-articulated. Uropod exopod with proximal article shorter than distal one. Peduncle of uropods longer than rami; rami approximately same length. Males with five pairs of pleopods.

Species included:

1. B. tanzaniense Petrescu, 1998

Distribution: Coast of Tanzania in the West Indian Ocean, at 0 m in a shallow reef flat with fine sand and mud.

Notes: Modifications of maxillipeds 1 and 2 with numerous setae and the lack of lacinia mobillis and pars incisiva on the mandible may be related to feeding on small-sized particles ( Petrescu, 1998).