Nerocila sigani Bowman and Tareen 1983

Trilles, Jean-Paul, Rameshkumar, Ganapathy & Ravichandran, Samuthirapandian, 2013, Nerocila species (Crustacea, Isopoda, Cymothoidae) from Indian marine fishes, Parasitology Research (1273) 112 (3), pp. 1273-1286 : 1277-1278

Nerocila sigani Bowman and Tareen 1983

Synonymy: Nerocila sigani Bowman and Tareen 1983: 12 , Fig. 9 .—Bruce 1987: 406— Bruce and Harrison-Nelson 1988: 597–598 (part).— Trilles 1994: 100 (part).— Kensley 2001: 234.— Rameshkumar et al. 2012b: not paginated.

Material examined: two N. sigani , female (ovigerous, size 25 mm, No . MNHN-IU-2009-1935 and AUCR 655), Mudasalodai, Southeastern coast of India, on Siganus oramin , 09 December 2011 .

Description of the ovigerous female ( Figs. 3e–h , 5a–n , and 6f–j ): body about 2.0 times as long as wide, widest between pereonites 5–6. Cephalon as wide as long, anterior margin rounded. Eyes with facets almost indistinct. Antennulae widely separated at base. Pereonites 1, 5, 6, and 7 subequal in length, longest; 2–4 shortest and subequal. Posterolateral angles of all pereonites produced into points narrow and acute, increasing in length progressively from pereonite 1 to pereonite 7. Coxae 2–7 visible in dorsal view, produced into pointed and narrow processes; 2–5 not extending beyond posterior of pereonites or shortest; 6–7 distinctly longer than their respective segment and much more longer than the anterior. All pleonites visibles; ventrolateral margins of pleonites 1–2 narrow and acute, posteriorly directed, extending to pleonite 5 or slightly beyond pleonite 5 respectively; pleonites 3–5 slightly produced. Pleotelson about 1/3 wider than long or as wide as long, smoothly rounded, without caudomedial lobe.

Antennula 8 articled, 1–2 larger than 3–8; articles 4–7 each with dense posterodistal cluster of esthetes. Antenna with 10 articles, 1–2 larger than the others, 5–10 with esthetes or spiny setae. Mandibular palp article 1 largest, article 2 with one spiny seta and three unequal spiny setae at apex of third article. Maxillula with three terminal spines. Maxilla with five spines on medial lobe and one spine on lateral lobe. Maxilliped with oostegial lobe, distal palp segment with one medial and five terminal spines. Pereopods 1, 2, 4, and 5 without marginal hooked spines, pereopod 3 with two spines on propodus, pereopod 6 with two spines on merus, three on carpus, and five on propodus, pereopod 7 with one spine on ischium, merus with two rows of five spines, carpus with two rows of three and five spines respectively, propodus with a row of 7 spines. Dactylus of pereopods without distinct swellings or only very weak swellings on dactyls 4– 5. Pleopods 1–2 with five coupling hooks on protopod medial margin; pleopod 2 with appendix masculina about 0.6/0.7 length of endopod and proximomedial lobe not folded; endopod 3–5 with proximomedial lobe well developed, folded; pleopod 3–4 endopod with a single fold or twofold, pleopod 5 endopod with several large folds. Uropod rami extending beyond posterior margin of pleotelson; exopod slightly longer than endopod; endopod with deep notch on medial margin and serrate lateral margin with a row of 10 regular teeth.

Figures

Fig. 9 a–e N. exocoeti Pillai 1954, ovigerous female (MNHN-IU-2009-1936): a–e, pleopods 1–5

Fig. 3 a–h N. arres Bowman and Tareen 1983, ovigerous female (MNHN-IU-2009- 1934): a dorsal view; b lateral view; c frons; d uropods. N. sigani Bowman and Tareen 1983, ovigerous female (MNHN-IU-2009-1935): e dorsal view; f lateral view; g frons; h uropods. Scale lines represent 0.5 mm

Fig. 5 a–n N. sigani Bowman and Tareen (1983), ovigerous female (MNHN-IU-2009- 1935): a antennule; b antenna; c mandible; d mandible palp; e maxillule; f maxilla; g maxilliped; h maxilliped article 3; i–m pereopods 3–7; n pereopod 7, distal articles

Fig. 6 a–j N. arres Bowman and Tareen 1983, ovigerous female (MNHN-IU-2009- 1934): a–e, pleopods 1–5. N. sigani Bowman and Tareen 1983, ovigerous female (MNHN-IU-2009-1935): f–j pleopods 1–5