Chandraniscus kussakini, George, 2004

George, Robert Y., 2004, Deep-sea asellote isopods (Crustacea, Eumalacostraca) of the north-west Atlantic: the family Haploniscidae, Journal of Natural History 38 (3), pp. 337-373 : 346-347

Chandraniscus kussakini n. sp.

(figure 5)

Diagnosis. Chandraniscus with a cephalon quandrangular in shape, frontal margin broadly rounded, lacking a median spine or projection and with a minute spine at each anterolateral angle. Cephalon about as long as the anterior three pereonites combined. Pleotelson shield-like with posterolateral projection almost level with the tip of the uropod and the rounded apex of the pleotelson. Antenna 1 with five articles, basal article broad, and longer than the narrow second article. Antenna 2 with third article broad and long, bearing a stout spine on the mid-inner margin.

Material examined. Holotype: female with brood plates, length 2.8 mm and maximum width 0.9 mm. USNM Cat. No. 138677.

Type locality. R / V Eastward Sta. G-7786, site Alpha-A at about 1500 m on the western side of the Bermuda Pedestal , north-west Atlantic .

Etymology. This species is named in honour and memory of isopodologist Prof. Oleg G. Kussakin, Institute of Marine Biology, Vladivostok, Russia.

Description of female. Body elongated, length more than three times width. Cephalon quadrangular in shape, with frontal margin broadly rounded, bearing a minute spine at each anterolateral angle. First pereonite narrower than other pereonites. Pereonite 4 the longest. Posterior three pereonites subequal in length. Pleotelson shield-like, with conspicuously produced posterolateral angles. Apex of pleotelson rounded and reaching as far as the tip of the posterolateral projection.

Antenna 1 with a peduncle of two articles and a flagellum of three articles, the basal peduncular article bulbous, twice as broad as the second article. Antenna 2 with a prominent stout spine on the broad and elongated third article (flagellum missing).

All pereopods narrow, feeble and ambulatory. First pereopod with merus bearing four small spines. Second pereopod merus twice as long as carpus, and inner margin bearing three long setae; propodus bearing four spines on the inner margin. Uropod uniramous, reaching as far as the tip of the posterolateral projection and apex of the pleotelson.

Remarks. Chandraniscus kussakini n. sp. resembles the two sympatric species from the Carolina lower slope at site Beta , C. eastwardae n. sp. and C. costlowi n. sp., in having a similar shield-shaped pleotelson. However, there are unique features in this new species from the Bermuda Pedestal to distinguish it from the Carolina slope species. These features are: quadrangular cephalon with no median projection; the tip of uropod reaching to the tip of the posterolateral projection of the pleotelson and the apex of the pleotelson.