Abstract
During analysis of sediment samples from South China Sea, a new species belonging to the genus Rhyncholagena Lang, 1944 was found and described here. Rhyncholagenaparaspinifersp. n. differs from its congeners by the following combined characteristics: body ornamented dorsally with at least one row of spinules on each somite except penultimate urosomite; A2 exopod two-segmented; P1 enp-2 with one inner seta; P3 exp-3 with two inner setae, P3 enp-2 with one inner seta; female P5 exopod with five setae; male P5 baseoendopod with two setae and exopod with four setae. This is the first report of the genus Rhyncholagena in the China seas. In addition, a key to all valid species of Rhyncholagena is given, along with tables of morphological characters of all valid species and their distributions.
Highlights
The harpacticoid genus Rhyncholagena Lang, 1944 belongs to the large family Miraciidae Dana, 1846, comprising nine species and subspecies (Walter et al 2015), plus the new species described here
Species of Rhyncholagena were reported from different regions of world: R. lagenirostris (Sars G.O., 1911) was from Norway; R. spinifer (Farran, 1913) from Ireland and France; R. pestai pestai (Monard, 1935) from France, Algeria and North Carolina of the USA; R. pestai americana Rouch, 1962 from Argentina; R. levantina Por, 1964 from coasts of Israel and France in Mediterranean; R. josaphatis Por, 1967 from the Red Sea and Suez Canal; R. littoralis Por, 1967 from the Red Sea, Suez Canal and Brazil; R. profundorum Por, 1967 from the Red Sea; and R. bermudensis Malt, 1990 from Bermuda
The new species can be placed in the genus Rhyncholagena by the following two characters: the incision between the apical setae of the P5 exopod and the very elongated rostrum
Summary
The harpacticoid genus Rhyncholagena Lang, 1944 belongs to the large family Miraciidae Dana, 1846, comprising nine species and subspecies (Walter et al 2015), plus the new species described here. Species of the genus Rhyncholagena are benthic forms that inhabit different marine environments: gravels (Por 1964), mud (Present contribution), sand (Sars 1911), mangrove (Malt 1990), and coral reefs (Sarmento and Santos 2012). Members of this genus range from intertidal to subtidal areas of continental shelves (Lang 1948; Por 1964, 1967; Malt 1990). Species of Rhyncholagena were reported from different regions of world: R. lagenirostris (Sars G.O., 1911) was from Norway; R. spinifer (Farran, 1913) from Ireland and France; R. pestai pestai (Monard, 1935) from France, Algeria and North Carolina of the USA; R. pestai americana Rouch, 1962 from Argentina; R. levantina Por, 1964 from coasts of Israel and France in Mediterranean; R. josaphatis Por, 1967 from the Red Sea and Suez Canal; R. littoralis Por, 1967 from the Red Sea, Suez Canal and Brazil; R. profundorum Por, 1967 from the Red Sea; and R. bermudensis Malt, 1990 from Bermuda
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