Halicoides iemanja sp. nov.

(Figures 5–7)

Material examined. Holotype, female, 3.6 mm, MNRJ 31057, Sta. AMB5 D06 R2 (dissected).

Paratypes: 1 male, length 5.0 mm, MNRJ 24607, Sta. HAB8 F06 R1 (dissected); 1 male, MNRJ 24606, Sta. HAB8 A09 R1; 1 male, MNRJ 24611, Sta. HAB09 CANAC9 R2 (0-2); 1 male, MNRJ 24695, Sta. HAB11 E04 R1; 1 female, MNRJ 31053, Sta. AMB4 F06 R1; 1 juvenile, MNRJ 31054, Sta. AMB5 A06 R2; 1 juvenile, MNRJ 31055, Sta. AMB5 A08 R1; 1 female, MNRJ 31056, Sta. AMB5 D06 R1; 1 juvenile, MNRJ 31060, Sta. AMB12 D04 R1 (0-2); 1 female, 1 male MNRJ 31061, Sta. AMB12 E06 R3; 1 juvenile, MNRJ 31062, Sta. AMB12 E07 R3; 1 male, MNRJ 31034, Sta. SANSED1 B07 R2 (0-2); 2 juveniles, MNRJ 31035, Sta. SANSED1 C08 R3 (0-2); 1 male, MNRJ 31036, Sta. SANSED1 C09 R3 (0-2); 2 juveniles, MNRJ 31037, Sta. SANSED2 E08 R1 (0-2); 1 male, MNRJ 31038, Sta. SANSED2 E09 R2 (0-2); 1 juvenile, MNRJ 31039, Sta. SANSED4 G07 R3 (0-2); 1 male, MNRJ 31040, Sta. SANSED4 H07 R3 (0-2); 1 juvenile, MNRJ 31043, Sta. SANSED7 B08 R3 (0-2); 1 female, MNRJ 31044, Sta. SANSED7 C09 R2 (0-2); 1 male, 1 female, MNRJ 31045, Sta. SANSED7 D07 R1 (0-2); 1 juvenile, MNRJ 31046, Sta. SANSED7 D08 R1 (0-2); 1 juvenile, MNRJ 31047, Sta. SANSED7 D09 R2 (0-2); 1 male, MNRJ 31048, Sta. SANSED7 D09 R3 (0-2); 1 male, MNRJ 31049, Sta. SANSED8 F08 R2 (0-2); 1 female, MNRJ 31050, Sta. SANSED8 F09 R1 (0-2); 1 female, MNRJ 31051, Sta. SANSED7 P03 R3 (0-2); 1 female, MNRJ 31052, Sta. SANSED8 P09 R1 (0-2).

Etymology. In reference to the popular entity in African-based religions in Brazil. Iemanjá is an orixá known as a deity of the seas, her belief says that she has dominion over everything that lives in the waters. Besides, the abundance of long aesthetascs in female antenna 1 resembles the crown with a curtain of beads falling over the face in the image of Iemanjá.

Diagnosis. Antenna 1, sexually dimorphic. primary flagellum short with 13 articles. Male article 1 of both flagellum fused, but accessory flagellum not flattened; callinophore absent. Female with long aesthetascs, 2 per article; article 1 of both flagellum not fused. Antenna 2, peduncle, articles 4–5 about 5x longer than wide; flagellum with 10 articles. Upper lip rounded, not incised. Mandibles, rakers absent; palp article 3 about 0.7x the length of article 2. Gnathopod 2 more setose than 1, carpus ventral margin with setae only in the distal half. Pereopods 3–4, poorly setose; merus weakly robust, 1.5x longer than wide; carpus weakly robust, subrectangular, about 2x longer than wide. Pereopod 5, dactylus as long as propodus. Pereopods 6–7, long dactylus, 0.8x the length of propodus. Urosomite 1–2 smooth; urosomite 2 with 1 simple seta dorsally. Uropod 2, peduncle poorly setose; outer ramus with 1 row of robust setae; inner ramus, dorsal setae absent. Uropod 3, article 2 of outer ramus about 18% the length of the ramus. Telson cleft about 90% of the length.

Description. Holotype, female, length 3.6 mm, MNRJ 31057. Head wider than long; cephalic lobe present, well-developed, exceeding half-length of article 1 of peduncle of antenna 1; rostrum present, long, reaching half-length of article 1 of peduncle of antenna 1; eyes absent. Antenna 1, peduncle short, reaching less than half of article 4 of peduncle of antenna 2; article 1 the longest, 3x the length of the article 2, articles 2 and 3 subequal in length; primary flagellum with 13 articles, aesthetascs present from article 2 to 11, 2 per article; accessory flagellum with 4 articles, distal simple setae on each one. Antenna 2, longer than antenna 1; peduncle, article 3 very short, as long as wide, articles 4–5 subequal in length and width, about 5x longer than wide, with simple setae; flagellum with 10 articles.

Mouthparts forming a quadratiform bundle. Upper lip rounded, not incised. Mandibles, incisor microdentate, row of setae present, rakers absent and molar absent on both sides; right mandible, lacinia mobilis wide, more than half the width of the incisor, microdentate; left mandible, lacinia mobilis as long as wide, microdentate; palp, 3- articulated on both sides; article 1 short, article 2 about 3x longer than article 1, with simple setae; article 3 about 0.7x the length of article 2, with 2 long simple setae apically. Lower lip, inner lobes coalesced. Maxilla 1, inner plate reduced, with 1 long simple seta apically; outer plate with 1 subapical plumose seta and 7 apical robust setae; palp 2- articulated, article 2 not expanded distally, with 2 subapical simple setae and 5 apical robust setae. Maxilla 2, slender plates, about 3x longer than wide, plates subequal in length; inner plate with 4 simple setae on the inner margin, 2 simple setae and 1 plumose seta apically; outer plate with 2 simple setae and 1 plumose seta apically. Maxilliped, inner plate reduced, with 2 apical simple setae; outer plate, reaching article 2 of the palp, with 3 robust setae on the inner margin and 3 robust setae apically; palp 4-articulated, article 1 with 1 simple seta on the inner margin, article 2 with 4 simple setae on the inner margin, article 3 with 3 simple setae in the distal half, article 4 smooth, without tooth, with 1 small simple seta.

Coxae 1–7 short, wider than long; coxa 1 projected anteriorly; coxae 2–4 suquadrate; coxa 5 with anterior projection well developed; coxa 6 with weak anterior projection; coxa 7 projected posteriorly, over epimeron 1. Oostegites from pereopods 3 to 5, long and thin.

Gnathopod 1 slender; basis with simple setae on anterior margin, basis and ischium with 1 simple seta on posterodistal angle of each one; merus with 2 simple setae; carpus, 2x longer than wide, shorter than propodus, with 3 simple setae; propodus 3x longer than wide, with 4 simple setae; palm absent (simple), dactylus smooth with 3 short simple setae. Gnathopod 2 slender as gnathopod 1, more setose; basis with 4 simple setae on anterior margin; ischium with 3 long simple setae on posteroventral angle; merus with 3 simple setae; carpus 2x longer than wide, shorter than propodus, ventral margin with long simple setae covering the distal half; propodus 3x longer than wide, with 10 simple setae and 3 plumose setae with short setules; dactylus smooth with 3 short simple setae. Pereopods 3, basis and ischium with simple setae distally; merus weakly robust, 1.5x longer than wide, with 4 simple setae on ventral margin; carpus weakly robust, subrectangular, about 2x longer than wide, with 6 simple setae; propodus subequal in length to carpus, a little bit narrower, with 3 simple setae and 1 robust seta; dactylus as long as propodus, simple, not subdivided. Pereopod 4 similar to 3 in shape, size and setation; carpus with 2 plumose setae with short setules.

Pereopod 5 about 1.5x longer than pereopod 4; basis 1.8x longer than wide, with a weak posterior lobe; basis and ischium, anteroventral angle with 1 robust seta with apical seta; merus, carpus and propodus anterior margin with robust setae with apical seta; propodus 10x longer than wide; dactylus as long as propodus. Pereopod 6 about 1.5x longer than pereopod 5, a little more setose, articles with setae on both margins; basis, with posterior lobe; propodus 10x longer than wide; long dactylus, 0.8x the length of propodus. Pereopod 7 a little shorter than pereopod 6, more setose; basis broadly rounded, 1.5x longer than wide with posterior lobe reaching the end of ischium; propodus 10x longer than wide; long dactylus, 0.8x the length of propodus.

Epimeron 1–3 subquadrate, without tooth on posteroventral angle, naked. Pleopods well developed, basal articles of ramus not fused, about 9 articles, setose. Urosomite 1–2 smooth; urosomite 2 with a small dorsal bump for insertion of 1 simple seta, without dorsal tooth. Uropod 1, peduncle subequal to ramus in length, 1 robust seta on inner margin and row of 4 robust setae on outer margin, posteroventral tooth present; biramus, ramus subequal in length, apically rounded; outer ramus with 5 dorsal robust setae and 2 apical robust setae; inner ramus with 4 dorsal robust setae and 2 apical robust setae. Uropod 2, peduncle subequal to ramus in length, with 2 robust seta on inner margin, posteroventral tooth present; biramus, ramus apically rounded, outer ramus longer than inner; outer ramus, with row of 4 robust setae and 3 apical robust setae; inner ramus with 1 subapical robust seta and 3 apical robust setae. Uropod 3, peduncle a little shorter than ramus, with 2 robust setae on inner margin and 1 robust seta on outer margin; biramus, lanceolate, no apparent setae but insertion marks along inner and outer ramus; outer ramus 2- articulated, article 2 about 18% the length of the ramus, with 1 very small simple seta apically. Telson 2x longer than wide, cleft about 90% of the length, each lobe with 1 pair of subequal cusps with 1 very small simple seta apically.

Males: The sexual dimorphism of this species can be observed mainly in antenna 1, first articles of primary and accessory flagellum fused. The fused article 1 of accessory flagellum in H. iemanja sp. nov. is not flattened as in Halicoides campensis sp. nov. Callynophores are absent, but aesthetascs present in primary flagellum from articles 4 to 12, only 1 per article.

Type locality. Sta. AMB5 D06 R2, Espírito Santo Basin (19°50’01.99’’S 39°26’30.13’’W), 1053 m .

General Distribution. Campos Basin, Santos Basin and Espírito Santo Basin (19º–26º S), Brazil, Southwest Atlantic Ocean, depth range from 45 to 3012 m (Figure 1) .

Remarks. Comparing with all 13 Halicoides species, H. iemanja sp. nov. is closer to H. lolo and H. nana in pereopods 3 and 4 presenting merus and carpus slightly expanded. Furthermore, the three species are very similar in several characters such as: antenna 1 with well-developed aestethascs; gnathopod 2 more setose than gnathopod 1, but not so densely as compared with all the other species; urosomites 1–2 smooth, lacking teeth.

Halicoides iemanja sp. nov. can be distinguished from H. lolo and H. nana by the upper lip rounded, not incised; dactylus of pereopod 5 as long as propodus (dactylus shorter than propodus in H. lolo, and 0.6x the length of the propodus in H. nana). Also, Halicoides iemanja sp. nov. has the telson 90% cleft (versus 80% in H. nana), and lacks dorsofacial setae (versus present in H. lolo). Additionally, Halicoides iemanja sp. nov. differs from H. campensis sp. nov. and H. tertia by urosomite 1–2 smooth, lacking tooth.