Austroleptostylis, Gerken, 2014

Gerken, Sarah, 2014, Eleven New Species and a New Genus of Diastylidae (Crustacea: Cumacea) from Australia and One New Species from Canada, Records of the Australian Museum 66 (1), pp. 1-62 : 9

Austroleptostylis n. gen.

Type species. Austroleptostylis recalvastra ( Hale, 1945)

Diagnosis. Female and subadult male. Carapace without spines, anterior margin strongly serrate. Telson with 1 pair lateral setae, 1 pair stout terminal setae. Adult male. Carapace boxy in shape. Pleon with several stout setae on pleonite 2. Antennule greatly expanded, with large brush of setae. Antennae short, not extending past posterior border of pleonite 5. Single pleopod with extremely stout peduncle, tiny rami with few long plumose setae.

Etymology. The new genus name is formed from the combination of Austro from the Latin austral for southern,

and Leptostylis , referring to the fact that the genus is only known from the southern hemisphere.

Remarks. With adult males in hand, it is clear that the species Hale described as Leptostylis recalvastra has only one pair of pleopods in the adult male. As Hale did not have any adult males in the material he examined, it is not surprising that he placed the species in Leptostylis . The only species of Leptostylis known from Australian waters, L. vercoi , is readily distinguishable from Austroleptostylis by the male bearing two pairs of pleopods and by the presence of spines on the carapace, which are absent in A. recalvastra .

Australian species. Austroleptostylis recalvastra ( Hale, 1945) .

Key to the Australian species of Austroleptostylis and Leptostylis 1 Carapace covered in small spines .................................................................... Leptostylis vercoi

—— Carapace smooth, anterior margin toothed ........................ Austroleptostylis recalvastra n. gen.