Andrés G. Morales-Núñez

A new species of Paratanais Dana, 1852 (Crustacea, Peracarida, Tanaidacea, Paratanaidae) from Puerto Rico, northwestern Atlantic

Abstract Paratanais rosadi sp. n. described from Puerto Rican coastal waters represents the first species of the genus from the northwestern Atlantic. It is distinguished from the other Paratanais species by a combination of characters, including article-2 of the maxilliped palp with a geniculate, finely-serrulate seta on inner margin; chela with stiff, geniculate, seta arising from propodus between fixed finger and dactylus and with short, stout, finely serrulate, seta on inner distal face of propodus adjacent to base of dactylus; carpus of pereopods 4−6 having three, instead of four stout modified spiniform setae distally, uropodal exopod distinctly shorter than endopodal article-1; and uropodal endopod with articles of about of equal in length. A key for the separation of Paratanais species from the Atlantic Ocean is presented.

Ogleus pilarae, a new genus and species of leptocheliid tanaidacean (Crustacea: Peracarida: Tanaidomorpha) from the tropical Northwest Atlantic with observations on the genus Pseudonototanais Lang, 1973.

Ogleus pilarae n. gen., n. sp. (Leptocheliidae) is described from specimens collected at a depth of 28 m off the eastern coast of Puerto Rico. Morphologically the new genus appears to have its closest affinities with the type species of Heterotanais and those of the two subgenera belonging to Pseudonototanais sensu Guţu. Ogleus is distinguished from these and other leptocheliids by a combination of characters including a male antennule having three unfused peduncular articles, five aesthetasc-bearing flagellar articles with the first being greatly reduced and bearing a single cluster of aesthetascs, the shape of the male cheliped, and uropods of both sexes having an elongate endopod with five articles or incipient articles, the distalmost being distinctly longer than the first. The genus Pseudonototanais is rediagnosed to contain P. werthi, P. modestus (female holotype), and with reservations P. bransfieldensis. The Pseudonototanais subgenus Makassaritanais is elevated to full generic rank to contain M. angustus and M. bamberi. The male originally attributed to P. (M.) modestus, does not appear to be a leptocheliid since it has a short uropodal endopod appearing to have just two articles. The taxonomic status of some of the other taxa previously assigned to Pseudonototanais sensu lato or that are superficially similar to it is discussed. Overall, based on the females, the genera Ogleus and Makassaritanais may be more closely allied with genus Leptochelia Dana, 1849 than to Pseudonototanais and Heterotanais. A key to the male leptocheliid taxa having truncated or superficially subchelate-appearing chelae is presented.

Two new paratanaid Tanaidacea (Crustacea: Malacostraca: Peracarida) from the Hawaiian Islands, with illustrated taxonomic keys

Two new tanaidomorphan tanaidaceans, Aparatanais hawaiensis, sp. nov. and Metatanais spinipropodus, sp. nov. represent the first members of the Family Paratanaidae to be described from the Hawaiian Islands. Aparatanais hawaiensis is distinguished from the other species of the genus by the setation of the antenna, maxilliped, chela, and pereopods. Metatanais spinipropodus is distinguished from the other three members of its genus by its chela having a strongly developed, chisel-like, spiniform seta on the inner face of propodus near the sub-distal margin of the fixed finger. The Hawaiian occurrence of M. spinipropodus extends the range for the genus Metatanais well-eastward into the mid-Pacific Ocean. This study presents the first description of a male attributable to the genus Aparatanais.

Cacoheterotanais rogerbamberi , a new genus and species of leptocheliid Tanaidacea (Crustacea: Peracarida) from shelf-waters of the Gulf of Mexico

A new leptocheliid tanaidacean, Cacoheterotanais rogerbamberi gen. et sp. n., is described from the Continental Shelf of the eastern Gulf of Mexico at depths ranging from 10 to 30 m. The new monotypic genus and species is distinguished from the other genera within the Pseudonototanais complex, or genus-group, (Cocotanais, Heterotanais, Makassaritanais, Ogleus, and Pseudonototanais) by a combination of characters, including the (1) male antennule with three peduncular and three flagella articles, (2) male and female both having three articles in the uropodal endopod, (3) basis of the female maxilliped with three pairs of long distal setae, and (4) differences in the morphology, setation and shape of the male cheliped. A key and table are presented to further distinguish C. rogerbamberi from the genera and species within the Pseudonototanais complex.

First record of Ianiropsis cf. serricaudis in Maryland Coastal Bays, USA (Crustacea, Peracarida, Janiridae)

Abstract During monthly sampling of benthic invertebrates at 13 stations in the Maryland Coastal Bays (MCBs) from March to December 2012, a total of 29 individuals of Ianiropsis cf. serricaudis were collected. This species is being reported for the first time in MCBs. A detailed illustration and description of an adult male of I. cf. serricaudis from MCBs is presented. An illustrated key of males of Ianiropsis species belonging to the palpalis-group is also presented. The size of the largest male was 3.0 mm and that of the largest female was 2.5 mm. It is possible that I. cf. serricaudis was present in the MCBs, but overlooked during previous surveys of marine benthic invertebrates in the area because of its small body size and lack of taxonomic expertise.

First record of the family Sphyrapodidae Guţu, 1980 (Crustacea: Peracarida: Apseudomorpha) with the description of a new species of Sphyrapus from the Colombian Caribbean

A new sphyrapodid tanaidacean, Sphyrapus caribensis sp. nov. is described and a new record of Kudinopasternakia siegi is reported for the Colombian Caribbean based on samples collected during cruises in 2014–2015. The new species appears to be most closely related to the northeast Atlantic species, Sphyrapus malleolus. Sphyrapus caribensis can be distinguished from Sphyrapus malleolus by a combination of characters, including the maxillipedal basis without long distal seta, the number of setae on the distoventral margin of pereopods 1 and 2, and the number of plumose seta on the pleopod basis. A key for the separation of Sphyrapus species is presented.

Paratanais waltsikorai, a New Tanaidacean (Crustacea: Peracarida: Tanaidomorpha: Paratanaidae) from Bermuda

Abstract Paratanais waltsikorai sp. nov. is described from specimens collected from shallow-water habitats in Bermuda. It represents the second species of the tanaidacean genus to be named from the northwest Atlantic. It is distinguished from the other species of Paratanais by a combination of characters, including the distinctive shape and setation of antennal articles 2 and 3.