Weltnerium Zevina, 1978

Young, Paulo S., 2002, Revision of the Scalpellidae (Crustacea, Cirripedia) in the collection of the Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle, France, studied by Abel Gruvel, Zoosystema 24 (2), pp. 309-345 : 329-333

Genus Weltnerium Zevina, 1978

Weltnerium bouvieri ( Gruvel, 1906) ( Figs 17-19 )

Scalpellum bouvieri Gruvel, 1906: 272 ; 1907b: 3, figs 7-9. — Nilsson-Cantell 1926: 2, fig. 1. — Krüger 1940: 466. — Zevina 1964: 252; 1966: 258; 1968: 92, fig. 5; 1970: 91, fig. 5.

Scalpellum weltneri Gruvel, 1907a: 159 ; 1909: 205, pl. 23, figs 4, 5, pl. 26, figs 8-11. — Broch 1927: 541. — Krüger 1940: 467. — Zevina 1968: 86; 1970: 86.

Arcoscalpellum bouvieri – Newman & Ross 1971: 53, fig. 20.

Arcoscalpellum weltneri – Newman & Ross 1971: 92, fig. 48, pl. 8B.

Weltnerium bouvieri – Zevina 1978b: 1347; 1981a: 205, fig. 144; 1981b: 81. — Jones 1991: 168.

Weltnerium weltneri – Zevina 1978b: 1347; 1981a: 212, fig. 151.

TYPE MATERIAL. —“ Scalpellum Bouvieri A Gruvel ” (from label, without any further information). Lectotype by present designation, cl (tl) 6.8 (12.2) mm ( MNHN Ci 387) ; paralectotypes, 2 spec., cl (tl) 8.2 (15.1) and 6.6 (11.0) mm ( MNHN Ci 387). — “ Scalpellum Weltneri A Gruvel, Terre de l’Empereur Guillaume II ” (from label) . Lectotype by present designation, cl (tl) 4.5 (6.8) mm ( MNHN Ci 389) ; paralectotype, 1 spec., cl (tl) 5.4 (8.1) mm ( MNHN Ci 389) .

DIAGNOSIS. — Capitulum with smooth plates. Scutum regularly convex without arm. Carina with umbo subapical. Carino-latus twice higher than wide, with umbo at carinal base, not projecting backward. Inframedian-latus hour glass shaped. Rostro-latus higher than wide, with basal and distal margins diverging. Cirrus I with anterior ramus three quarters the length of posterior ramus.

DESCRIPTION

Capitulum ( Fig. 17A ) elongated, length twice the width, occludent margin nearly straight, carinal margin convex. Plates smooth, without longitudinal ridges and thin growth lines, not covering all capitulum, with wide spaces between plates, covered by thick cuticle.

Tergum ( Fig. 17A ) with its surface area similar to that of scutum; without apicobasal ridge. Basal margin slightly convex. Carinal margin with two concavities and a produced part near apex of carina. Occludent margin convex. Apex obtuse, slightly curved toward carina.

Scutum ( Fig. 17A ) regularly convex, without apicobasal ridge; height twice the greatest width. Basal margin oblique and concave. Tergal margin concave. Occludent and lateral margins straight. Apex curved, slightly superimposed on tergum.

Carina ( Fig. 17A, C ) arching accentually apically, wider at upper portion, with umbo subapical. Tectum flat without any lateral ridges, angularly flexed to laterals; basal margin V-shaped.

Upper-latus ( Fig. 17A ) pentagonal, umbo subapical, projecting. Scutal margin largest, tergal, carino-lateral and carinal with about same length and, the smallest inframedian-lateral margins; scutal margin concave; other margins almost straight.

Carino-latus ( Fig. 17A, C ) twice higher than wide, with umbo at carinal base, not projecting backward; curving regularly under carina, not forming ridges. Carino-latera not interdigitating with one another below carina.

Inframedian-latus ( Fig. 17A ) hour glass shaped, higher than wide, umbo displaced a little upper of middle and projected.

Rostro-latus ( Fig. 17A, B ) quadrangular, higher than wide, curving continuously, without apico-basal ridge; basal one half of distal margin, diverging, umbo not projecting backwards. Rostrum ( Fig. 17B ) relatively large, pentagonal, with a triangular median portion and inward projected laterals, not covered by carino-latera.

Peduncle ( Fig. 17A ) a little shorter than capitulum, mostly covered by wide, large scales initially with a sr-l-sc; rl-cl pattern and posteriorly with a inclusion of one more lateral.

Labrum ( Fig. 18A ) bullate, without teeth. Palp ( Fig. 18A ) short, thin, with simple setae on apex and inner margin. Mandible ( Fig. 18B ) with four acute teeth, distance between first and second tooth about same of distance between second and third; lower angle with denticles. Maxilla I ( Fig. 18C ) with anterior border with upper portion slightly projected, with two large and two median strong spines, lower portion with 10 median and large spines below. Maxilla II ( Fig. 18D ) nearly triangular, covered by numerous simple setae; papilla of maxillary gland not pronounced.

Cirrus I ( Fig. 19A) with unequal rami, anterior ramus three quarters the length of posterior ramus; former with more protuberant articles. Cirrus II to VI with equal, long rami. Median article of cirrus VI ( Fig. 19B) almost four times longer than wide, four pairs of simple setae and a small setulae on anterior margin; one setae on posterior angle. Setal-article ratio about 7:1. Caudal appendage absent. Penis ( Fig. 19C) reduced for a short point, smaller than protopodite. One male attached to inner pouch of scutum. Number of articles of cirri I-VI is presented in Table 6.

REMARKS

Gruvel (1906) described W. bouvieri based on numerous specimens collected during the Discovery Expedition, and this redescription was based only on the three specimens deposited in the MNHN.

Gruvel (1906: 272) described the presence of a caudal appendage (“appendices filamenteux”) unarticulated, a little longer than the protopodite, and the absence of penis. I could not observe any caudal appendage and the penis was very short, smaller than the protopodite.

Weltnerium bouvieri and W. weltneri were described by Gruvel (1907a, d) from Antarctic. The specimens of W. weltneri ( Fig. 28 ) (tl 6.8 to 8.1 mm) are significantly smaller than those of W. bouvieri (tl 11.0 to 15.1 mm) and both species represent distinct stages of development of the same species. Zevina (1981a) primarily separated both species mainly by the subapical umbo of carina of W. bouvieri and the apical umbo of W. weltneri , but in specimens of W. weltneri the primordial valve are being displaced backward, clearly showing the future development of a subapical umbo. The inframedian-latus of the smaller specimens do not have the upper part developed and show a more triangular shape instead of the hour glass shape of the full grown specimens. Therefore, I consider W. weltneri a junior synonym of W. bouvieri .

Weltnerium bouvieri (including W. weltneri ) is recorded from the Antarctic region from Alasheyv Bight (67°S, 45°E) to Discovery Inlet, Ross Sea (75°S, 170°E), and South Orkney (60°22’S, 46°50’W) and South Georgia (54°51’S, 34°36’W) in depths from 18-45 m to 900-920 m ( Gruvel 1906; Nilsson-Cantell 1926; Zevina 1964, 1968, 1981a; Newman & Ross 1971).

Figures

FIG. 17. — Weltnerium bouvieri (Gruvel, 1906), lectotype (MNHN Ci 387); A, right lateral view; B, rostral view; C, carinal view. Scale bars: 3 mm.

FIG. 18. — Weltnerium bouvieri (Gruvel, 1906), lectotype (MNHN Ci 387); A, labrum and palp; B, mandible; C, maxilla I; D, maxilla II. Scale bar: 0.3 mm.

FIG. 28. — Weltnerium weltneri (Gruvel, 1907), lectotype (MNHN Ci 389); A, left lateral view; B, rostral view; C, carinal view. Scale bars: 1 mm.