Paravireia holdichi n. sp., an enigmatic isopod crustacean from the Canary Islands with affinities to species from New Zealand

Abstract

Abstract Paravireia holdichi n. sp. is reported from the Canary Islands, western Atlantic Ocean. The new species was discovered within empty barnacle shells in areas of intense tourism. It differs from other species of the genus in having a distinctive shield-like shape of the head and prominent lateral keels on anterior pereonites of males. The genus is unique within the Isopoda in lacking any trace of the uropoda. It is remarkable that the two other known species of the genus occur only in New Zealand. Three species are known, the type species Paravireia typica Chilton, 1925, from the supralittoral, and P. pistus Jansen, 1973, from the sublittoral, each from single localities in New Zealand, while Paravireia holdichi n. sp. is known from several supralittoral locations in the Canary Islands. Comparison with known isopod taxa leads to the conclusion that Paravireia does not fit clearly into any known isopod family, although on the basis of overall similarity of the antennule, antenna, mouthparts and pereopods the genus is regarded as incertae sedis with the strongest affinities to the Sphaeromatidae.