Cymothoida Wägele, 1989

Bruce, A. J., 2007, Neophryxus, a new name for Prophryxus Bruce, 1973 (Crustacea: Isopoda: Bopyridae), Zootaxa 1646 (1), pp. 67-68 : 67

Suborder Cymothoida Wägele, 1989

Family Bopyridae Rafinesque, 1815

Subfamily Hemiarthrinae Markham, 1972

Neophryxus nom. nov.

Prophryxus Bruce, 1973: 365 .

Type species. — Prophryxus globicaudatus Bruce, 1973 ; here designated.

Etymology. — From neos, Greek, new, and Phryxus , a generic name first used by Rathke (1843).

Type material. — Ovigerous female holotype, BMNH 1973 :231.1, and male allotype, BMNH 1973 :232.1. Type locality: North Reef , Casuarina Point Marine Park. Malindi, Kenya. Male and non­ovigerous female paratypes, RMNH I.3110. Kikambala, Kenya ( Bruce 1973) .

Host.— Coralliocaris graminea (Dana, 1852) ( Crustacea : Decapoda : Palaemonidae ).

Distribution. —Known only from Kenya.

Remarks. — Neophryxus globicaudatus ( Bruce, 1973) comb. nov., is the only species in the genus and there have been no reports since the original description. The species is remarkable for the presence of a sucker­like mechanism on the dorsum of the cephalon, a feature unique in the Hemiarthrinae .

In the Site of attachment to host in the original description it should state that the dorsal aspect of the cephalon is in contact with the ventral aspect of the first abdominal segment.

Originally described as a hemiarthrinid bopyrid, Prophryxus globicaudatus Bruce, 1973 was subsequently placed in the Dajidae by Kensley (2001) who followed the original generic designation and also Nierstrasz and Brender à Brandis (1923), together with the only other species of Prophryxus , P. alaskensis Richardson, 1909 , the type species of Richardson’s genus. Definitions of the Dajidae and Hemiarthrinae have recently been provided by Poore, Markham & Lew Ton (2002). Prophryxus Richardson clearly conforms to the diagnosis of the Dajidae and Prophryxus Bruce to the Hemiarthrinae . The junior homonymy of Prophryxus Bruce is here corrected, and that genus is now returned to the Hemiarthrinae with the new name of Neophryxus . No dajids have yet been reported in association with pontoniine shrimps.

Acknowledgements. —This study was facilitated by support from the Australian Biological Resources Survey. Helpful comments by N.L. Bruce are also much appreciated.