Neotanais minimus, Larsen & Hansknecht, 2003

Larsen, Kim & Hansknecht, Tom, 2003, Three new species of the deep-sea genus Neotanais Beddard (Crustacea: Peracarida), Journal of Natural History 37 (23), pp. 2787-2806 : 2788-2789

Neotanais minimus n. sp. (figures 1–4)

Material examined. Holotype, non-ovigerous X, bl. 3.5 mm, Stn. W 1-1, 13 May 2000, 27°34.7791∞N, 93°32.8573∞W, 379 m, ( NMNH 1004425 ) . Paratypes: one nonovigerous X paratype, bl. 3.2 mm, same locality ( NMNH 1004426 ); one W paratype, bl 3.7 mm, 1 July 2001 CSA/MMS Stn. MC-292, FF4-B01, 28°47.20∞N, 88°39.89∞W, 1118 m. ( NMNH 1004427 ) . Three non-ovigerous X s. Stn. W1-1, 13 May 2000, 27°34.7791∞N, 93°32.8573∞W, 379 m.

Diagnosis (female). Pereonite 4 wider than long. Pleonites with small straight midventral keel. Pleotelson with posterior margin straight. Pleotelson with lateral margins expanded laterally, as wide as pleonites. Antennular article 1 long (l/w ratio>five), article 4 less than twice as long as combined length of articles 5–7. Cheliped with dactylus and fixed finger of subequal length, fixed finger bearing conspicuous denticles on inner margin. Last pair of pleopods reaching apex of pleotelson. Uropods longer than pleon. Uropodal exopod with two articles, half as long as endopod article 1. Uropodal endopod last article with distal setae longer than article itself. Uropod attachment midlength on pleotelson and at 45° angle.

Etymology. Named after the unusual small size of the adult representatives of this species. (Latin: minimus ‘Masculine form of ‘small’).