Leptestheria brevispina, Garcia, Jose Vicente & Pereira, Guido, 2003

Garcia, Jose Vicente & Pereira, Guido, 2003, A review of the clam shrimp family Leptestheriidae (Crustacea: Branchiopoda: Spinicaudata) from Venezuela, with descriptions of two new species, Zootaxa 208, pp. 1-12 : 7-8

Leptestheria brevispina new species ( Fig. 3)

Material Examined.— Holotype.— MBUCV XI­ 4886, 1 male; Venezuela, Falcón State, 5 km from Adícora town (11°51’N, 69°48’W), collected by G. Pereira, 9 May 1981. Paratypes.— MBUCV XI­ 3743, 2 males, 17 females; Venezuela, Falcón State, 5 km from Adícora (11°51’N, 69°48’W), collected by G. Pereira, 9 May 1981.

Measurements.— Holotype male 3.60 mm length, 2.16 mm height. Paratype males 3.12­3.6 mm length, 1.92­2.24 mm height (n=2). Paratype females 2.48­3.12 mm length, 1.52­2.00 mm height (n=17).

Description. —Carapace with umbo on anterior margin, similar in males and females ( Fig. 3 A,B). Males and females similar in size. Area between growth lines granulated, growth lines with row of delicate short setae ( Fig. 3 B). Head with short, blunt occipital spine in both sexes ( Fig. 3 C, D). Anterior margin straight to convex. Ocellus at rostral base, variable in shape. Male and female rostrum angularly shaped with short fornices meeting at rostral apex ( Fig. 3 C, D). Both sexes with sharp spine situated at rostral apex.

First antenna indistinctly segmented, with 13­16 lobes bearing sensory setae in males and 8­11lobes in females ( Fig. 3 C, D). Male second antenna with peduncle indistinctly segmented and with 10 segments in both flagella, each segment with 2­5 dorsal spines and ventral long setae ( Fig. 3 E). Female second antenna similar to male but with 9 segments on both flagella, and 1­4 dorsal spines on each segment ( Fig. 3 F). Male first thoracopod stout, with slight indentation at base of immovable finger ( Fig. 3 G). Movable finger stout, strongly curved with truncated apex. Distal end with blunt spines on ventral margin. Immovable finger stout, with stout, large, thick acute spines on clasping border. Endite 4 stout, with simple terminal setae. Endite 5 (palp) stout, with two segments, with setae only on distal segment. Total length of palp near half length of movable finger. Endite 1 strongly curved, with acute tip bearing two serrate terminal spines. Endite 2 and 3 lobed, with pedunculate setae. Female first thoracopod with setose lobe on anterior side ( Fig. 3 H). Female seventh, eighth and ninth throracopod with epipods swollen and cylindrical in shape ( Fig. 3 I). Male telson with two rows of 16­18 sharp spines, some of them smaller, with others bigger ones intercalated ( Fig. 3 J). Telsonal filaments delicate, plumose on distal half, arising at level of first telsonal spine. Female telson more slender than in male, with two rows of 18 minute spines ( Fig. 3 K).

Type Locality.—Small shallow pool less than 1 m in diameter, located near (5 Km from) Adícora town, Falcón State, Venezuela.

Etymology.—The name is derived from the Latin word “ brevis” (short) and “spina” (spine) because of the shape of the occipital spine.

Remarks.—This species is easily recognized by the blunt shape of the occipital spine, similar to that of L. dahalacensis (Rüppel, 1837) (Straškraba 1966, Brendonck et al. 1989) but shorter. The occipital margin is straight to convex in both sexes, with the male rostrum angularly shaped. The telson in this species is similar to that of L. cristata and L. tucumanensis . This species was found at a side of the road to Adícora town, in the beach in small shallow pools with scarce vegetation and 7‰ salinity very near (at 20 m) from the shore line. This species was found cohabiting with the fairy shrimp Dendrocephalus spartaenovae Margalef, 1961 ( Anostraca : Thamnocephalidae ). There is no possibility that these individuals correspond to immature forms of the other species, since we have males of L. brevispina with developed first thoracopods. Also, a series of long thin spines on the distal end of the telson is present in juveniles and adults of L. venezuelica . While, a series of protuberances on the dorsal margin of the carapace is present in juveniles and adults of L. cristata, Additionally , a typical occipital spine and head shape is present for each of three species in adults and immature forms.