Two new genera of misophrioid copepods (Crustacea) from an anchihaline cave in the Bahamas

Abstract

Two new genera of misophrioid copepods are described from an anchihaline cave on the Exuma Cays, Bahamas. Both sexes of Huysia bahamensis are characterized by the retention of biramous fifth legs, a character state previously reported only in members of the Misophria-lineage. Protospeleophria lucayae is described on the basis of a single female. It is closely related to Speleophria, but can easily be distinguished by the more plesiomorphic segmentation pattern of the antennules (the lack of fusion between antennulary segments IX to XII and XV to XVI) and by the maxillipedal armature. The new taxa belong to a cluster of genera, together with Speleophria and Speleophriopsis, characterized by: the presence of a long, falcate rostrum; the fusion between genital and first abdominal somites in the female to form a genital double-somite; the presence of enlarged aesthetascs on antennulary segments III and VII; the [5,3] armature formula of the maxillary allobasis; the 2-segmented endopod of leg 1; and the 4-segmented fifth legs (comprising coxa, basis and 2-segmented exopod). The unmodified segmentation around the geniculation of the male antennule of Huysia and Speleophriopsis necessitates some redefinition of the ancestral neocopepodan geniculation.