Cyclaspis breedyae, Petrescu, Iorgu & Heard, Richard W., 2004

Petrescu, Iorgu & Heard, Richard W., 2004, Three new species of Cumacea (Crustacea: Peracarida) from Costa Rica, Zootaxa 721, pp. 1-12 : 2-5

Cyclaspis breedyae n. sp. ( Figure 1 )

Material examined. Holotype.– Female (UCR 8383­01). Type locality: Costa Rica, Golfo de Nicoya (Pacific coast), beach 1–2 km north of Puerto Caldera, fine mesh dredge net, 1– 1.5 m depth, sand substratum, 28 April 1998. Paratypes: 1 female ( MGAB CUM 1447), 1 female ( GCRL 2074), same collection data as holotype.

Diagnosis. Carapace with four dorsal teeth and an oblique ridge on each side. Pereopod 1 with propodus as long as dactylus. Uropodal exopod slightly longer than endopod. Endopod with four stout setae on inner margin.

Description. Female. Body, elongate, 4.3 mm in length.

Carapace ( Figure 1 A): ocular lobe large, pigmented, typically with 11 lenses (omatidia); pseudorostral lobes shorter than ocular lobe; distinct antennal notch present; dorsal crest immediately behind ocular lobe armed with four teeth (confined to anterior 1/3 of carapace behind ocular lobe); oblique ridge running from mid­dorsal region to anterior corner just below antennal notch.

Pleon. Longer than carapace and pereon combined.

Antenna 1 ( Figure 1 B): peduncle with last two articles equal in length, main flagellum biarticulate with basal article much longer than distal article.

Maxilliped 2. Lost during dissection.

Maxilliped 3 ( Figure 1 C). Outer process well developed, merus with process having apical long plumose seta

Pereopod 1 ( Figure 1 D): endopod with basis less than half length of pereopod, carpus as long as propodus, slightly longer than dactylus. Exopod, excluding setae, extending slightly beyond basis of endopod.

Pereopod 2 ( Figure 1 E): basis less than ½ length of entire pereopod, with plumose setae on both sides, merus as long as carpus and propodus combined, with a plumose seta on inner margin and a simple one on outer margin, carpus with two long stout distal setae, dactylus 3 times longer than propodus, with few short simple setae including subterminal and terminal ones.

Pereopod 3 ( Figure 1 F): basis more than ½ length of remaining (distal) articles combined, long plumose setae on inner margin, ischium with simple setae on inner margin, merus nearly as long as carpus, carpus with two long stout setae on distal end, thin dactylus with terminal simple seta.

Pereopods 4 & 5 ( Figure 1 G, H): basis shorter, merus longer than carpus compared to pereopod 3, setation like in previous pair.

Uropod ( Figure 1 I): peduncle with inner margin serrate, slightly less than 1.4 longer than pleonite 6 and about 1.5 times longer than exopod. Exopod slightly longer than endopod, with three terminal robust spiniform setae, middle seta much longer than others. Endopod with terminal robust spiniform seta, four stout shorter setae on inner margin.

Male. unknown

Etymology. The species is named in honour of Odalisca Breedy, in recognition of her work on Cumacea and other invertebrates from Costa Rican waters; she was instrumental in the collection of much the material for this study.

Remarks. Cyclaspis breedyae n.sp. has affinities with Cyclaspis varians Calman, 1912 from the western Atlantic. Both have similar uropods, but the Costa Rican species differs by its carapace (1) having a more strongly developed dorsal spines ("fine teeth" present in C. varians ), (2) having a distinct ridge, which is missing in the Atlantic species, running obliquely from mid dorsal region to the base of antennal notch, and (3) having the pseudorostrum not exceeding the ocular lobe. It further differs from C. varians by having the antennule with the last peduncle article no longer than those preceding it, and pereopod 1 relatively longer with a shorter basis.

Some other sand dwelling crustaceans occurring in dredge net samples from the surf zone at Puerto Caldera with C. breedyae included the cumacean Leptocuma forsmani Zimmer, 1943 ; the mysid Bowmaniella banneri Băcescu, 1968 ; the isopod Ancinus panamensis Glynn & Glynn, 1974 ); and the mole crab Emerita rathbunae Schmitt, 1935 .

Figures

FIGURE 1. Cyclaspis breedyae n. sp. Subadult female. A, lateral view; B, antenna 1; C, maxilliped 3; D, pereopod 1; E, pereopod 2; F, pereopod 3; G, pereopod 4; H, pereopod 5; I, uropod. Scale 1 = 1 mm (A); Scale 2 = 0.3 mm (B, F – I); Scale 3 = 0.5 mm (C, D); Scale 4 = 0.3 mm (E).