Nitocra sonmezi, Yıldız & Karaytuğ, 2024

Yildiz, Nuran Oezlem & Karaytug, Suephan, 2024, Taxonomic revision of the Nitocra affinis Gurney, 1927 species complex (Harpacticoida, Ameiridae) with descriptions of four new species and re-evaluation of its subspecies, ZooKeys 1191, pp. 35-74 : 35

Nitocra sonmezi sp. nov.

Figs 9 , 10 , 11

Type material.

Holotype: Türkiye • 1 ♀ (dissected on 9 slides) (reg. no. TCRC-2007/10). Hatay Province Arsuz ( Mağaracık); 36°14.008'N, 35°50.220'E; 24/11/2007 collected from interstitial habitat; leg. Drs Serdar Sönmez, Alp Alper, Serdar Sak, Süphan Karaytuğ (this specimen was previously deposited in the collection of Biology Department of Mersin University and was labelled as N. affinis as a result of the faunistic project from Mediterranean Sea, under the project number TÜBİTAK TBAG-106T590).

Description

(adult female holotype). Body (Fig. 9A ) semicylindrical; total body length measured from tip of the rostrum to posterior end of the caudal rami 400 μm (n = 1). Surface sensilla and pores as figured (Fig. 9A, B ). Urosomites with finely serrated hyaline frills, and with complex spinule rows as figured (Fig. 9A-C ). Genital double-somite (Fig. 9A, C ) viewed as squarish in dorsal and ventral view, rectangular in lateral view (Fig. 9B ), with lateral suture line; with two continuous spinule rows dorsally extending laterally as figured. Anal somite (Fig. 9A, C ) with two pores located ventrolaterally and medially, anal operculum with fifteen robust spinules. Caudal rami (Fig. 9A, C ) short and squarish; with fine setules near the base of seta VII, with row of spinules dorsally near the base of seta II; few spinules present around inner distal margin; with seven setae: seta I minute; seta II slightly displaced dorsally; setae IV and V well-developed and pinnate; seta VI located near inner distal margin and naked; seta VII tri-articulate at base.

Antennule eight-segmented, setal formula 1-[1, plumose], 2-[8 +1 plumose], 3-[8], 4-[3 +1 ae], 5-[2], 6-[3], 7-[4], 8-[5 +acrothek)]. Maximum length/maximum width ratio of antennular segments 1:1.1:1.4:1.8:1.2:2:1.4:2.8.

Antenna (Fig. 10A ) comprising coxa, allobasis, one-segmented endopod and one-segmented exopod same as in N. loweae sp. nov. except for allobasis without spinule rows proximally. Endopod without longitudinal row of spinules along inner margin. Exopod with a weakly pinnate subdistal seta.

Mandible (Fig. 10B ) coxal gnathobase with coarse teeth ventrally, one unipinnate seta dorsally, palp uniramous; two-segmented, comprising basis and one-segmented endopod same as in N. loweae sp. nov. except for endopod lateral seta is naked, basis without lateral spinule row.

Maxilla (Fig. 10C ) with syncoxa and two well-developed endites same as in N. loweae sp. nov. except for syncoxa without spinule row; distal endite of syncoxa cylindrical with one naked, and one stronger and longer semi-pinnate apical setae, allobasis without spinules along convex margin near the base of endopod.

Maxilliped (Fig. 10D ) subchelate same as in N. loweae sp. nov. except for syncoxa unornamented; basis without spinules on outer distal corner.

Maxillule (Fig. 10E ) praecoxa, coxal endite, basis same as in N. loweae sp. nov. except for endopod with one plumose and one bipinnate seta, curved seta of coxal endite long and unipinnate.

P1-P4 (Fig. 11A-D ) exopod and endopod three-segmented. Intercoxal sclerite squarish and unornamented. Praecoxa triangular, outer margin with row of spinules. Exp-1 without inner seta.

P1 (Fig. 11A ) same as in N. loweae sp. nov. except for basis without spinules along inner margin; inner margin of exp-1, 2 unornamented; innermost geniculate seta of exp-3 naked; exopod reaching slightly above the middle of enp-1 and aligned with the insertion of the inner seta of enp-1; enp-1 ~ 4.3 × as long as maximum width; subdistal seta of enp-1 unipinnate and located more proximally than that of N. loweae sp. nov. enp-2 without spinules on outer distal margin; enp-3 with two small spinules on outer margin.

P2 (Fig. 11B ) similar to that of N. loweae sp. nov. except for exp-2 without setules along inner margin; inner seta of enp-3 unipinnate and stronger than in N. loweae sp. nov.

P3 (Fig. 11C ) similar to that of N. loweae sp. nov. except for exp-2 with setules along inner margin; innermost seta of enp-3 unipinnate and stronger than in N. loweae sp. nov.

P4 (Fig. 11D ) similar to that of N. loweae sp. nov. except for exp-2 without setules along inner margin; middle inner seta of exp-3 unipinnate, longest and stronger than that of N. loweae sp. nov.; innermost seta of enp-3 longest and plumose.

P5 (Fig. 9D ) similar to that of N. loweae sp. nov. except for inner baseoendopod lobe narrower and extends halfway along the exopod, innermost seta shortest (seta I); outermost seta of exopod (seta VI) longer than in N. loweae sp. nov.

Armature formula of swimming legs same as in N. loweae sp. nov.

Male. Unknown.

Etymology.

The specific name is given in honour of Associate Prof Dr Serdar Sönmez from Adıyaman University for his contribution to copepod taxonomy in Türkiye. It is a noun in the genitive case.

Figures

Figure 9. Nitocra sonmezi sp. nov. female holotype A habitus, dorsal B habitus, lateral C urosome, ventral (P 5 - bearing somite omitted) D P 5, anterior. Scale bars: 50 μm.

Figure 10. Nitocra sonmezi sp. nov. female holotype A antenna B mandible C maxilla D maxilliped E maxillule. Scale bars: 25 μm.

Figure 11. Nitocra sonmezi sp. nov. female holotype A P 1, anterior B P 2, anterior C P 3, anterior D P 4, anterior. Scale bars: 50 μm.