Nitocra serdarsaki, Yıldız & Karaytuğ, 2024

Yildiz, Nuran Oezlem & Karaytug, Suephan, 2024, Taxonomic revision of the Nitocra affinis Gurney, 1927 species complex (Harpacticoida, Ameiridae) with descriptions of four new species and re-evaluation of its subspecies, ZooKeys 1191, pp. 35-74 : 35

Nitocra serdarsaki sp. nov.

Figs 15 , 16 , 17

Type material.

Holotype: Türkiye • 1 ♂ (dissected on 7 slides) (reg. no. TCRC-2013/16). Ertuğrul Bay, Seddülbahir Beach; 40°2.5608'N, 26°11.0772'E; 29/09/2013; Drs Serdar Sak, Alp Alper, Orkan Metin Leg. This specimen was previously deposited in the collection of Biology Department of Balıkesir University which was labelled as N. affinis as a result of the faunistic project from Saros Bay, under the project number TÜBİTAK TBAG-212T105).

Description

(adult male holotype): Body (Fig. 15A, B ) semi-cylindrical, total body length measured from tip of the rostrum to posterior end of the caudal rami 582 μm (n = 1). Sensilla and pores as figured (Fig. 15A-D ). Rostrum small, with two sensilla on distal margin, without rostral extension apically (Fig. 15E ). Anal somite with two sensilla on both sides of anal operculum; posterior end covered with robust spinules; inner distal and lateral margin with small spinules and a pair of pores medially on ventral surface. Anal operculum (Fig. 15C ) with eleven robust spinules along posterior margin. Caudal rami small and squarish; with transverse fine setules dorsally extending inner margin dorsally, and with a row of spinules laterally; ventrally with pores on near anterior and posterior margin (Fig. 15D ).

Antennule (Fig. 16A ). Setal pattern and structure similar to that of N. loweae sp. nov. except for segments weaker developed than in N. loweae sp. nov.

Antenna (Fig. 16B ) comprising coxa, allobasis, one-segmented endopod and one- segmented exopod similar to that of N. loweae sp. nov. except for allobasis with spinules only on the middle of inner margin; spinule row along inner margin of free endopodal segment; more sparsely distributed than in N. loweae sp. nov.; inner apical seta of free endopodal segment 1.5 × as long as the adjacent apical seta; subdistal seta of exopod weakly pinnate.

Mandible (Fig. 16C ) similar to that of N. loweae sp. nov. except for exopod with four naked apical setae (two of them fused basally) and without spinules.

Maxilla (Fig. 16D ) similar to that of N. loweae sp. nov. except for allobasis without spinules along convex margin near the base of endopod; endopod with one long seta.

Maxilliped (Fig. 16E ) similar to that of N. loweae sp. nov. except for syncoxa ~ 2.6 × as long as maximum width; basis ~ 2.7 × as long as maximum width.

Maxillule similar to that of N. loweae sp. nov.

P1 (Fig. 17A ) similar to that of N. loweae sp. nov. except for exopod extends the level of inner seta of enp-1; enp-1 ~ 4.5 × as long as maximum width, inner margin with four well-developed spinules along inner margin, subdistal unipinnate seta located more proximally than in N. loweae sp. nov.; exp-3 with one spinule on outer proximal margin.

P2 (Fig. 17B ) similar to that of N. loweae sp. nov. except for intercoxal sclerite with spinules on anterior surface; coxa unornamented; basis with setules along inner margin; inner margin of exp-3 unornamented; spinules along outer margin of exp-2, 3 weaker than in N. loweae sp. nov.; inner seta of enp-3 unipinnate at distal half and stronger than in N. loweae sp. nov.

P3 (Fig. 17C ) similar to that of N. loweae sp. nov. except for intercoxal sclerite with spinules on anterior surface; basis with setules along inner margin; Innermost seta of enp-3 unipinnate at distal half and stronger than in N. loweae sp. nov.; inner apical seta naked and as long as outer spine.

P4 (Fig. 17D ) similar to that of N. loweae sp. nov. except for spinulose row near the base of endopod weakly developed; exp-1 with two fine setules along inner margin; middle inner seta of exp-3, longest and stronger than that of N. loweae sp. nov.; innermost seta of enp-3 stronger than in N. loweae sp. nov.; subdistal inner seta of enp-3 shorter than in N. loweae sp. nov.

P5 (Fig. 16F ) similar to that of N. loweae sp. nov. except for baseoendopod with four bipinnate setae, the outermost seta short and ~ 1/2 as long as the other setae.

Female. Unknown

Etymology.

The specific name is given in honour of Prof Dr Serdar Sak from Balıkesir University for his contribution to copepod taxonomy in Türkiye. It is a noun in the genitive case.

Figures

Figure 15. Nitocra serdarsaki sp. nov. male holotype A habitus, dorsal B habitus, lateral C penultimate and anal somites, dorsal D urosome, ventral (P 5 - bearing somite omitted) E rostrum and first segment of antennule. Scale bars: 50 μm.

Figure 16. Nitocra serdarsaki sp. nov. male holotype A antennule B antenna C mandible D maxilla E maxilliped F P 5, anterior. Scale bars: (A) 50 μm; (C-F) 25 μm.

Figure 17. Nitocra serdarsaki sp. nov. male holotype A P 1, anterior B P 2, anterior C P 3, anterior D P 4, anterior. Scale bars: 50 μm.