Pedoculina cf. bacescui Carausu, 1940

Guerra-García, José M., Tato, Ramiro & Moreira, Juan, 2018, Caprellidae (Crustacea: Peracarida: Amphipoda) from deep-sea waters off Galicia (NW Iberian Peninsula) with the description of a new genus and three new species, Zootaxa 4532 (2), pp. 151-202 : 179-180

Pedoculina cf. bacescui Carausu, 1940

( Figs. 17–21 )

Pedoculina bacescui Carausu, 1940: 446 , pl.1–2.— MCain & Steinberg, 1970: 64.— Krapp-Shickel, 1993: 804 –806, fig. 548. Pedunculocaprella antennata Kaim-Malka, 1983: 173 , pl. 1.

Material examined. SELVA 2008 : 1 juvenile male (used for drawings of lateral and dorsal view, antennae, gnathopod 2, pereopods 3–5, mouthparts and abdomen) (vial with 70% ethanol and 2 slides, mouthparts dissected) ( MHNUSC 25111 ), 1 female (used for drawings lateral and dorsal view, pereopods 5–7, gnathopods and abdomen (vial with 70% ethanol and 2 slides, mouthparts not dissected) ( MHNUSC 25112 ), AT-13, 17 July 2008, 44°06.496’N, 008°23.522’W, 337 m, rocky bottom (?).

Remarks. The genus Pedoculina was established by Carausu (1940) who described Pedoculina bacescui based on a single female from sands of Posidonia oceanica at 50 m deep in Monaco. Kaim-Malka (1983) described Pedunculocaprella antennata from Marseille ( France). Krapp-Shickel (1993) and Laubitz (1993) synonymised P. antennata with P. bacescui . Sánchez-Moyano et al. (1995) described the species Pedoculina garciagomezi based on males and females collected from Algeciras (south side of the Strait of Gibraltar). Guerra-García & Takeuchi (2002) confirmed also the presence of P. garciagomezi in Ceuta (north side of the Strait of Gibraltar). As no males of P. bacescui were available, only the females of both species could be compared (see Sánchez-Moyano et al., 1995 for details). The main differences among the females of the two species are: (1) flagellum of antenna 1 twoarticulate in P. bacescui and one-articulate in P. garciagomezi , (2) antenna 2 slightly longer than antenna 1 in P. bacescui and slightly shorter in P. garciagomezi , (3) pereopod 5 four-articulate in P. bacescui and three-articulate in P. garciagomezi , (4) dactylus of gnathopod 1 with only one ventral projection in P. garciagomezi while in P. bacescui is profusely serrate with several projections. Although Sánchez-Moyano et al. (1995) reported that P. garciagomezi is provided with two pairs of acute projections on pereonite 3 and P. bacescui only with one pair, figures of the original description (see also Krapp-Schickel, 1993, Kaim-Malka, 1983) show also two pairs of acute projections on pereonite 3 of P. bacescui , so this does not seem a valid difference among the species. During the present study only a juvenile male and a female were found. Most of the characteristics (two-articulate flagellum of antenna 1, pereopod 5 four-articulate in adult female, antenna 2 longer than antenna 1 and dactylus serrate) agree with the description of P. bacescui . In the juvenile male, the pereopod 5 is only three-articulate so it could be sexual dimorphism in the number of articles of pereopod 5. However, this should be confirmed in the future if adult males are found. The two specimens found are fully figured as baseline for future comparisons if more Atlantic material is found. So far, P. bacescui was considered as a Mediterranean endemic; therefore, the present study would enlarge the distribution area of the species to Atlantic waters. Future morphological and molecular studies based on additional material are advisable to dilucidate the distribution area of this species.

Distribution. Mediterranean ( Monaco, Marseille) ( Carausu, 1941, Kaim-Malka, 1983). Atlantic (NW Iberian Peninsula) (present study).

Figures

FIGURE 17. Pedoculina cf. bacescui Carausu, 1940. Lateral and dorsal view of juvenile male and female.

FIGURE 18. Pedoculina cf. bacescui Carausu, 1940. Mouthparts of juvenile male.

FIGURE 19. Pedoculina cf. bacescui Carausu, 1940. Antenna 1 and 2, gnathopod 2 of juvenile male, gnathopod 1 and 2 of female.

FIGURE 20. Pedoculina cf. bacescui Carausu, 1940. Pereopods 3–5 of juvenile male, pereopods 5–7 of female.

FIGURE 21. Pedoculina cf. bacescui Carausu, 1940. Abdomen of juvenile male and female.