Bicorniphontodes clarae, George & Glatzel & Schröder, 2019

George, Kai Horst, Glatzel, Thomas & Schröder, Katharina, 2019, Bicorniphontodes (Copepoda: Harpacticoida: Laophontodinae Lang, 1944): a new genus with description of a new species from the Napoleon Reef, Gulf of Aqaba, Red Sea, Egypt, Zootaxa 4706 (1), pp. 171-188 : 173-182

Bicorniphontodes clarae gen. et sp. nov.

Type material: Female holotype, embedded on 1 slide, coll. no. SMF 37200 /1; paratype 1 (allotype): male, embedded on 1 slide, coll. no. SMF 37201 /1; paratype 2: female, embedded on 1 slide, coll. no. SMF 37202 /1; paratype 3: female, embedded on 1 slide, coll. no. SMF 37203 /1; paratype 4: female, distributed over 4 slides, coll. no. SMF 37204 /1–4; paratype 5: female, distributed over 3 slides, coll. no. SMF 37205 /1–3; paratype 6: female, distributed over 4 slides, coll. no. SMF 37206 /1–4; paratype 7: male, distributed over 3 slides, coll. no. SMF 37207 /1–3.

Locus typicus: Napoleon Reef, Dahab, Gulf of Aqaba, Egypt, geographic location 28°28`13” N / 34°30`28” E, littoral.

Etymology: The epitheton “ clarae “ is given in fondly dedication to TG’s youngest daughter Clara (Hamburg, Germany).

Description of female. Habitus ( Fig. 2A ) slender, cylindrical, tapering distally, body length approximately 430µm (R to the end of FR). Rostrum ( Fig. 3B ) triangular, fused with cphth, with 2 pairs of sensilla, one of which apically, the other pair centrally. Cphth ( Fig. 2A ) comprising one third of total body length, with several sensilla, some of which arising from small socles; medio-laterally with paired triangular extensions; postero-laterally with pair of well-developed, backwardly curved cuticular processes; dorsally with cuticular ridges running in longitudinal direction. Free body somites clearly distinct. P2–P4-bearing somites ( Fig. 2A ) dorsally sclerotized, P2-bearing somite dorsally with 6, P3–P5 bearing somites each with 4 small socles carrying sensilla on their tips. All body somites except cphth with finger-like hyaline frill on the rear margin, P2-bearing somite–GDS dorsally with small tube pore. Telson small, broader than long and not reaching half of the length of the preceding somite. Anal operculum rounded, with row of fine spinules on posterior margin, and flanked by 2 sensilla.

FR ( Fig. 7A ) slender, about 5 times longer than their broadest parts, each ramus proximally with tube pore and distally with 7 bare setae: I and II subapically on outer margin, II somewhat longer than I. III subapically on dorsal outer edge, 3 times longer than I; IV and V apically, being IV about half as long as V; V double of the length of FR; VI apically on the inner margin, as long as III; VII dorsally, tri-articulated at base, slightly longer than IV.

A1 ( Fig. 3A ) 5-segmented. First segment with a cuticular “bump” on posterior margin bearing short spinules; anterior margin with long setules and 1 pinnate seta apically; second segment with a weak “bump” with several long setules on posterior margin, anteriorly with 9 bare setae; third segment longer as second, with 5 bare setae on anterior margin and 1 aes apically accompanied by 1 bare seta arising from acrothek, adjoining 1 extra bare seta; fourth segment smallest, overlapped by preceding segment, with 1 bare seta; fifth segment with 10 setae and 1 small aes.

Setal formula: 1/1; 2/9; 3/7 + aes; 4/1; 5/10 + aes.

A2 ( Fig. 3D ). Coxa small, without ornamentation; allobasis with row of spinules on abexopodal margin, lacking abexopodal setae; exp represented by 1 tiny bare seta; enp as long as allobasis, with row of spinules on anterior margin and 2 subapical spines, 1 of which bipinnate, the other bare; apically with 3 geniculated setae and 2 spines; subapically with spinulose frill.

Md ( Fig. 5A ). Gnathobase apically with 4 multicuspidate teeth and 1 plumose seta. Md palp 1-segmented, carrying 6 bipinnate setae.

Mxl ( Fig. 4B ). Precoxal arthite with 5 strong bare spines and 2 setae apically. Two of the spines end in a double tip. Additionally with 2 surface setae. Coxa with 2 bare seta apically. Basis with 3 bare lateral spines and 3 bare apical setae.

Mx ( Fig. 4C ). Syncoxa and basis fused, with 2 endites and 3 rows of spinules, proximal endite apically with 2 bare setae and 1 strong unipinnate spine, distal endite with 1 fine seta and 1 strong bare spine; basis elongated, with 2 bare setae and apically with 1 strong unipinnate spine; enp represented by 2 bare setae.

Mxp ( Fig. 4D ) prehensile, syncoxa slender, with 1 rounded row of spinules, lacking apical seta; basis longer than syncoxa, with row of spinules on outer side; endopod produced into a long claw reaching length of basis and accompanied by minute seta.

P1 ( Fig. 5A ). Precoxa small, coxa elongated, as long as basis; basis with each 1 plumose seta on inner and outer side, respectively; enp long, 2 segmented, prehensile; enp-1 twice as long as whole exopod, with row of spinules on inner side, subapically with cuticular bulge; enp-2 reaching at most 1/3 of length of enp-1, apically with 1 strong unipinnate claw and 1 bare seta, subapically with 1 small bare seta. Exp 3-segmented, exp-1 with spinules on outer margin and 1 unipinnate strong spine; exp-2 with spinules on both the inner and outer margin and 1 bare geniculate outer seta; exp-3 apically with 4 geniculate setae, the innermost being plumose at distal half.

P2–P4 ( Figs. 5B , 6A, B ) with transversely elongated bases, 3-segmented exopods and 2-segmented endopods; bases with long tube pore on proximal margin, and with 1 outer biplumose (P2) respectively 1 bare seta (P4) (broken in P3). All exo- and endopodal segments except enps-1 with rows of spinules on inner and/or outer margin; first endopodal segments very small, second segments long and slender, apically with 2 long biplumose setae, in P4 additionally with 1 inner biplumose seta and 1 outer bipinnate spine. Exp-1 with 1 outer bipinnate spine; exp-2 with 1 inner biplumose seta and 1 bipinnate outer spine; exp-3 with 3 unipinnate, comb-shaped outer spines and 2 apical biplumose setae; P2 additionally with 1, P3 and P4 with 2 inner biplumose setae. Setal formula given in Tab. 1.

P5 ( Fig. 5C ). Endopodal lobe incorporated completely into benp and represented only by 2 setae of fish-bone aspect. Benp with 1 seta arising from long setophore, and with 1 row of spinules each on the inner and outer margin; additionally with 2 tube pores. Exp distinct, shorter than benp, with outer row of spinules, 1 outer spine and 2 inner setae, the proximal one being bare, the distal one bipinnate; apically with 1 bipinnate and 1 biplumose seta.

GF and P6 ( Fig. 5D ). Small, with single copulatory pore; P6 strongly reduced to a small seta, limbs fused to small single plate carrying each 1 minute seta.

Description of male. The male differs from the female in the following characters: body size, A1, P3 endopod, P5.

Habitus ( Fig. 2B ) smaller and slimmer, body length of described specimen from rostral tip to end of FR: 360µm.

A1 ( Fig. 7B ) 7-segmented, subchirocer. First segment longer than broad, apically with 2 rows of spinules and 1 bipinnate seta; second segment with spinulose bump on the posterior margin, and with 9 setae, 4 of them longer than the remaining 5; third segment smaller than the preceding segments, with 5 smooth setae apically; fourth segment very small, with 2 smooth setae; fifth segment swollen, with 2 hook-shaped spines on its ventral surface, and with 4 setae, followed by 6 setae; apically with acrothek formed by aes and 1 seta, accompanied by pedestal with 2 setae; sixth segment with 3 setae; seventh segment tapering posteriorly, with 8 setae on outer side and 1 small aes with 1 accompanying seta.

Setal formula: 1/1; 2/9; 3/5; 4/2; 5/13 + aes; 6/3; 7/9 + aes.

P3 ( Fig. 6C, C *). Exp as in female. Enp 3-segmented: enp-1 small and unarmed, enp-2 longest, with row of spinules on inner and outer margin, apically with a short triangular apophysis ( Fig. 6C *) that reaches the end of enp-3; enp-3 with 2 biplumose apical setae.

P5 ( Fig. 6D ) small, benp and exp fused. Benp with outer basal seta arising from setophore accompanied by row of spinules and 1 tube pore; endopodal lobe represented by 1 bare seta; exopodal lobe with 1 bare outer seta, apically with 3 pinnate spines.

Figures

FIGURE 2. Bicorniphontodes clarae gen. et sp. nov., A. female, dorsal habitus, B. male, dorsal habitus. Scale: 50µm.

FIGURE 3. Bicorniphontodes clarae gen. et sp. nov., female. A. A1, B. Rostrum, dorsal view, C. detail showing right lateral triangular extension and cuticular process, D. A2. Scales: 20µm.

FIGURE 4. Bicorniphontodes clarae gen. et sp. nov., A. Md, A’. Md of counterpart, B. Mxl, C. Mx, D. Mxp. Scales: 20µm.

FIGURE 5. Bicorniphontodes clarae gen. et sp. nov., female. A. P1, B. P2, C. P5, D. GDS with P6 and copulatory pore. Scale: 20µm.

FIGURE 6. Bicorniphontodes clarae gen. et sp. nov., A. Female P3, B. Female P4, C. Male P3 enp, C*. Male P3 endopod showing apophysis (enp-3 omitted), D. Male P5, arrow pointing to subapical row of spinules. Scale: 20µm.

FIGURE 7. Bicorniphontodes clarae gen. et sp. nov., A. Female telson with FR, dorsal view, with enumeration of furcal setae I–VII on left FR, B. Male A1, segments numbered; arrow at segment 2 showing spinulose “bump”; additionally, single numbered segments show setation. Scale: 20µm.