Paracilicaea, Stebbing, 1910

Schotte, Marilyn & Kensley, Brian, 2005, New species and records of Flabellifera from the Indian Ocean (Crustacea: Peracarida: Isopoda), Journal of Natural History 39 (16), pp. 1211-1282 : 1271-1272

Key to species of Paracilicaea from the Indian Ocean

1. Pleotelson without large bosses, lobes or conical tubercles; pleotelson with six longitudinal rows of small tubercles; uropodal exopods long, curved.................... Paracilicaea flexilis Baker, 1928 [Western Australia]

– Pleotelson with two or more large lobes, bosses or tubercles; exopods various. 2

2. Pleotelsonic bosses triangular in shape, each extending anteriorly to form ridge meeting submedian pair of tubercles on posterior margin of pleonite 4, thus forming a square-shaped concavity..... Paracilicaea keijii Javed, 1990 [ Pakistan]

– Pleotelson not as above................. 3

3. Each of three pleotelsonic apical processes notched; uropodal rami apically notched........... Paracilicaea mossambicus Barnard, 1914 [ Mozambique; Madagascar; Seychelles; Mauritius]

– Pleotelsonic apical processes unnotched, rounded or truncate or acute... 4

4. Posterior margin of pleon entire, not produced and without tubercles or processes 5 – Posterior margin of pleon produced, or with processes and/or tubercles... 6

5. Uropodal endopods parallel-sided, width of exopod ca one-sixth of length, apically acute............. Paracilicaea teretron Barnard, 1955 [ Mozambique; Madagascar]

– Uropodal endopods not parallel-sided, width of exopod ca one-third of length, apically rounded......... Paracilicaea watamuae Müller, 1995 [ Kenya]

6. Posterior margin of pleon markedly and broadly produced at midline.... 7

– Posterior margin not produced at midline; bearing tubercles or two processes. 8

7. Dorsum covered with pile of setae; uropodal exopod with conical tooth on distal external margin...... Paracilicaea pubescens H. Milne Edwards, 1840 [South Australia; Zanzibar; Indonesia]

– Dorsum smooth; exopod long, narrow and without tooth on margin.................. Paracilicaea dakini Tattersall, 1922 [Western Australia]

8. One or two small, median tubercles at base of pleotelsonic notch..... 9

– Lacking small tubercles at base of pleotelsonic notch........ 10

9. Single, small tubercle at base of pleotelsonic notch; two large, setose bosses on pleotelson........... Paracilicaea eupyga ( Nobili, 1906) [Red Sea]

– Pair of small tubercles at base of pleotelsonic notch; four large, setose lobes on pleotelson............ Paracilicaea setosa Müller, 1995 [ Kenya]

10. Medial process in pleotelsonic notch cross-shaped......................... Paracilicaea stauros sp. nov.

– Not as above................... 11

11. Pair of small tubercles at base of pleotelson anterior to large bosses.................. Paracilicaea cordylina Kensley, 1984 [Africa]

– Pair of small tubercles absent at base of pleotelson........ 12

12. Pleotelsonic lobes truncate apically; uropodal exopods curved, rounded at apex............. Paracilicaea hanseni Stebbing, 1910 [Gulf of Kutch, India]

– Pleotelsonic lobes narrowly rounded apically; uropodal exopods straight, acute at apex............. Paracilicaea clavus Barnard, 1955 [ Mozambique]