Nitokra puebloviejensis, Fuentes-Reinés & Suárez-Morales & Silva-Briano, 2022

Fuentes-Reines, Juan M., Suarez-Morales, Eduardo & Silva-Briano, Marcelo, 2022, A new species of Nitokra Boeck, 1865 (Copepoda, Harpacticoida, Ameiridae) from the Caribbean coast of Colombia, ZooKeys 1128, pp. 111-127 : 111

publication ID	https://dx.doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1128.86210
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:2BC60E0B-B619-4815-9AD9-5D4E8507B3A1
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/90D3530F-D17B-48E7-BC9A-90F41ED5C0E5
taxon LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:act:90D3530F-D17B-48E7-BC9A-90F41ED5C0E5
treatment provided by	ZooKeys by Pensoft
scientific name	Nitokra puebloviejensis
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Nitokra puebloviejensis sp. nov.

Figs 1 View Figure 1 , 2 View Figure 2 , 3 View Figure 3 , 4 View Figure 4 , 5 View Figure 5 , 6 View Figure 6

Material examined.

Adult female holotype ( INV10139 View Materials ) , ethanol-preserved, vial, Cienaga Grande de Santa Marta , Colombia (10°5211.25"N, 74°19'31.64"W), littoral plankton, coll. J.M. Fuentes-Reinés; adult male allotype (INV CRU10140 View Materials ) , ethanol-preserved, vial, same sampling data as holotype. Paratypes : four females (INV CRU10141 View Materials ), and three males (INV CRU10142 View Materials ), same sampling data as holotype and allotype .

Additional material.

Six adult females, four adult males in first authors’ collection. One female and two male individuals prepared for SEM analysis.

Type locality.

Puebloviejo, Ciénaga Grande de Santa Marta, northern Colombia (10°52'11.25"N, 74°19'31.64"W).

Etymology.

The new species is named in reference to the type locality of the new species by adding the toponimic suffix in singular. The gender of the species suffix is feminine to match that of the genus.

Differential diagnosis.

Nitokra with 1 inner seta and 5 setae on P1EXP2 and EXP3, respectively and 455 and 777 elements on P2-P4ENP3 and P2-P4EXP3, respectively, plus 111 inner setae on P2-P4ENP1, respectively. Female rostrum hourglass-shaped, distal segment of mandibular palp with 6 setal elements. P1ENP1 almost reaching distal margin of P1EXP3. Modified, club-shaped inner basipodal seta on leg1. Maxilliped with distinctive group of 5 setae inserted medially on the syncoxa.

Description of female.

Body subcylindrical, tapering posteriorly (Fig. 1A View Figure 1 ), total body length 728-784 μm (average = 768 μm, n = 6; holotype length = 784 μm).

Rostrum small, slightly protruding, discernible in dorsal view; roughly hourglass-shaped, with flat tip; rostrum furnished apically with two pairs of short slender sensilla (Figs 1B View Figure 1 , 2A View Figure 2 ). Labrum subtriangular, strong, heavily chitinized, with rugose edge apically (Figs 1C View Figure 1 , 2B View Figure 2 ). Urosome short, thick (Figs 1D View Figure 1 , 3D-F View Figure 3 ), comprising fifth pedigerous somite, genital double-somite and 3 free abdominal somites. Anal somite furnished with row of spinules on proximal ventral surface and along insertion of caudal rami (Figs 1F View Figure 1 , 3D-F View Figure 3 , 4A View Figure 4 ). Anal operculum semicircular, ornamented with 5 or 6 spines (Figs 1E View Figure 1 , 4A View Figure 4 ). Caudal ramus short, subquadrate, armed with 7 caudal setae (Figs 1F View Figure 1 , 4A View Figure 4 ), caudal seta I shorter than ramus; seta II about 2.6 × as long as I, seta III on distal outer position, slightly longer than seta II. Setae IV and V thick, long, the former being longest; seta VI about 1.6 × as long as seta I. Dorsal seta (VII) simple, about as long as caudal ramus, shorter than seta VI (Figs 1F View Figure 1 , 4A View Figure 4 ).

Antennule 8-segmented, tapering distally (Fig. 4E View Figure 4 ), first segment robust, subquadrate, unornamented, with single seta. Aesthetasc on fourth segment long, reaching beyond distal end of terminal segment. Fourth segment as long as first. Segmental armature as follows (s = seta, ae = aesthetasc): 1(1s),2(4s),3(6s),4(6+1ae).5(3s),6(2),7(4),8(7s+1ae).

Antenna (Figs 2E View Figure 2 , 3A View Figure 3 ). Coxa short, subquadrate, smooth. Basis subrectangular, lacking abexopodal seta, armed with short distal spine and row of minute spinules at spine insertion. First endopodal segment subrectangular, smooth, second endopodal segment longer than first, furnished with subdistal row of spinules on inner margin (Fig. 3A View Figure 3 ), with 2 lateral inner spines and 6 apical setal elements, outermost 2 basally fused at insertion. EXP 1-segmented, cylindrical, armed with 3 subequal setal elements (Figs 2E View Figure 2 , 3A View Figure 3 , 6C, D View Figure 6 ).

Mandible (Fig. 2C, D View Figure 2 ). Gnathal blade armed with 13 teeth, 6 large, 7 small, 1 long spinule, and long dorsal seta ornamented with short spinules (Fig. 2D View Figure 2 ). Mandibular palp 2-segmented, basal segment short, subquadrate, with short robust seta (Fig. 2C View Figure 2 ). Endopodal segment subrectangular, armed with 1 short lateral and 5 apical setae (Fig. 2C View Figure 2 ).

Maxillule (Fig. 2F View Figure 2 ). With large praecoxa; precoxal arthrite (pca in Fig. 2F View Figure 2 ) rectangular, unornamented, armed with group of 4 apical and 2 subapical spiniform elements. Coxal endite shorter than precoxal arthrite, armed with 1 curved serrate spiniform element and 2 smooth setae (cxe in Fig. 2F View Figure 2 ). Basis (bas in Fig. 2F View Figure 2 ) shorter than coxal endite, seemingly with five subequal apical and subapical setae; exopod reduced, represented by 1 seta; endopod (enp in Fig. 2F View Figure 2 ) 1-segmented, armed with 2 subequal plumose setae inserted apically (Fig. 2F View Figure 2 ).

Maxilla (Fig. 2G View Figure 2 ). Syncoxa unornamented, with 2 endites, proximalmost armed with short spiniform element and slender modified seta furnished with distal tuft of setules; second endite with 2 slender apical setae. Allobasis produced into strong serrate claw with short, curved adjacent spiniform element and slender seta. ENP 1-segmented, armed with 2 setae.

Maxilliped (Fig. 2H, I View Figure 2 ). Subchelate. Syncoxa with single setulated seta on inner distal corner and distinctive group of 4 or 5 short slender elements inserted medially on the outer margin of the syncoxa, as in male (Fig. 2H View Figure 2 , arrowhead in Fig. 6E View Figure 6 ). ENP represented by long, slender claw with short accessory seta (Fig. 2I View Figure 2 ).

P1 (Fig. 5A View Figure 5 ). Intercoxal sclerite smooth. Coxa with transverse row of spinules proximally and spinules row distally. Basis with spinules bordering insertion of exopodal and endopodal rami, inner basipodal spine short, reaching proximal 1/3 of length of first ENP segment. Outer basipodal spine short. EXP and ENP 3-segmented. Exopodal ramus shorter than endopod, reaching about the margin end of second exopodal segment. EXP1lacking inner setae, EXP2 with inner seta; EXP3 with 3 outer spines and 2 geniculate apical setae. ENP 3-segmented; ENP 2 with inner seta, ENP1 subrectangular. ENP3 with 1 apical spiniform seta, 1 geniculate apical seta, and short plumose inner seta.

P2 (Fig. 5B-D View Figure 5 ). Intercoxal sclerite with transverse rows of long spinules (Fig. 6C View Figure 6 ). Coxa with transverse row of long spinules plus 2 rows of minute spinules (Fig. 6D View Figure 6 ). Outer basipodal spine short ( “obs” in Fig. 6B View Figure 6 ). EXP and ENP 3-segmented. EXP1 lacking inner seta, EXP2 with long, slender inner seta, EXP3 with 3 outer spines, 1 apical and 3 inner setae. ENP shorter than EXP, reaching slightly beyond halfway of EXP3. ENP-3 with 2 inner setae (Fig. 5B View Figure 5 ).

P3 (Fig. 5E View Figure 5 ). Intercoxal sclerite smooth. Coxa and basis as in P2. EXP and ENP 3-segmented. ENP slightly shorter than EXP. ENP as in P2 except for additional inner plumose seta on ENP3.

P4 (Fig. 5F View Figure 5 ). Intercoxal sclerite, coxa and basis as in P2 and P3. EXP and ENP 3-segmented. ENP shorter than EXP, barely reaching 1/3 of EXP3. EXP as in P3 except for thinner outer spines on EXP3. ENP as in P3.

P5 (Fig. 3C View Figure 3 at arrow, 4C). EXP and baseoendopod not fused, baseoendopod subtriangular, reaching EXP midlength, segment bearing 5 setae, apical being longest. EXP subquadrate, with spinules row along inner margin; EXP armed with 5 unequally long setae (Fig. 4C View Figure 4 ).

P6 (Fig. 4D View Figure 4 ). Represented by narrow transverse plate with subdistal lobe-like processes marked by a rounded notch. Plate bearing a small seta on each side (Fig. 4D View Figure 4 at arrows).

Armature formula of female P1-P5 as follows:

Male. Smaller than female, total body length 578-588 μm (average length = 578 μm, n = 3; allotype specimen length = 588 μm).

Anal operculum, rostrum, antennae (Fig. 6C, D View Figure 6 ), and mouthparts as in female. Sexual dimorphism expressed in the antennule, urosome, P1basis, distal inner seta of P3ENP3, P5, and P6.

Antennule (Fig. 6A, B View Figure 6 ) haplocer, 10-segmented; armature formula difficult to discern, purportedly as follows: 1(1s), 2(9s), 3(6s), 4(2s), 5(9+ae), 6(1s),7(3s), 8(1s),9(2s),10(7+ae).

Antenna (Fig. 6C, D View Figure 6 ), maxilliped (Fig. 6E View Figure 6 ), mouthparts, and P1-P4 as in female. Ventral ornamentation of urosomites as in female except urosomite 2. Posterior margins of urosomites with row of small spinules.

P1 basis and P3ENP3. P1 basis with modified, club-shaped inner spine (Fig. 4F View Figure 4 , arrowheads in Fig. 6F View Figure 6 ). P3ENP3 with distal inner spine thinner than in female.

P5 (Fig. 4I View Figure 4 ). EXP and baseoendopod separated. The former subquadrate, with 5 or 6 setae, Baseoendopod reaching about proximal 1/3 of EXP, armed with 4 elements.

P6. With 2 unequal setae, inner one about 3 × as long as outer seta. Caudal rami as in female.

Variability.

One male with 3 setal elements (instead of 4) on P5ENP. Another male was observed to possess 6 setae instead of 5 on P5EXP.

Habitat.

The new species is known only from the type locality, Puebloviejo, Ciénaga Grande de Santa Marta (northern Colombia). The site where it was collected is a shallow mangrove area, 0.7 m deep, with water temperature 26-31 °C; local salinity was 15-20 PSU, and pH values was 7.5-8.1.