Abstract
A new genus and new species of the family Cletopsyllidae Huys & Willems, 1989 from deep-sea sediment in the Gulf of Mexico, are reported and fully described and illustrated. The new genus Pentacletopsyllus (type species: P. montagni sp. n.) can be distinguished from the four known genera of the family by antennule segmentation, length ratio of first and second endopodal segments of P1, and armature pattern on P5 exopod. It also differs from its sister genera by the rostrum being bifid at the tip, third segment of the female antennule having a smooth posterior margin, the baseoendopod of P5 with biarticulate outer setophore bearing basal seta, and female caudal rami without lobate expansion. A revised key to species of the family Cletopsyllidae Huys & Willems, 1989 is provided.
Highlights
The Gulf of Mexico is a large semi-enclosed oceanic basin surrounded by the North American continent and the island of Cuba
The subfamily Cletopsyllinae of the family Normanellidae was raised to familial rank by Huys and Lee (1999). They provided a new diagnosis and revised the genera of the family, and the family Cletopsyllidae was divided into four genera and nine species
Huys and Lee (1999) provided the following morphological diagnosis of the family Cletopsyllidae: (1) body elongated, body somites well defined with dentate or crenulate posterior margins, (2) female antennule 4- or 6-segmented, posterior margin of second segment with two distinct conical process, each bearing an apical seta; apical acrothek in both sexes represented by two setae only, (3) male antennule 7-segmented and typically subchirocerate with geniculation between segments 5 and 6; posterior margin of segment 2 with proximal spinous and distal cylindrical process, (4) antenna exopod 1-segmented and bisetose; endopod with 3 lateral and 6 distal element, (5) P1P4 biramous with 3-segmented exopod and 2-segmented endopod, (6) baseoendopod of P5 with elongated, tri-articulate setophore, (7) the sexual dimorphism of P2 endopod is the most diagnostic character
Summary
Baguley et al (2006) estimated the harpacticoid species richness of the northern Gulf of Mexico to be approximately 2200 species with a maximum diversity found at mid-slope water depths of 1200–1500 m. Harpacticoid diversity in this area is thought to be maintained by both small scale heterogeneity and large scale food supply mechanisms (Baguley et al 2006). Baguley et al (2006) recorded 696 species of benthic harpacticoids, belonging to 175 genera and 22 families. Cletopsyllidae does have a broad global distribution and has been found in the Indian Ocean (Retrocalcar secundus (Nicholls, 1945); Cletopsyllus bacescui Marcus, 1976; Bathycletopsyllus hexarthra Huys & Lee, 1999), the Pacific Ocean (R. sagamiensis (Itô, 1971); Isocletopsyllus maximus Song, Kim & Hwang, 2010), the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea (C. papillifer Willey, 1935; R. brattstroemi (Geddes, 1981); C. rotundifera Fiers, 1986), and the Mediterranean Sea (I. tertius (Por, 1964); I. quartus (Soyer, 1966); I. sardus Addis, Floris & Carcupino, 2011)
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