Kliecope, Tanaka & Tsukagoshi & Karanovic, 2014

Tanaka, Hayato, Tsukagoshi, Akira & Karanovic, Ivana, 2014, Molecular phylogeny of interstitial Polycopidae ostracods (Crustacea) and descriptions of a new genus and four new species, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 172 (2), pp. 282-317 : 285

GENUS KLIECOPE GEN. NOV.

Diagnosis

Carapace elliptical and dorsal line straight in lateral view. Antennula four podomeres, in males third podomere with two setae carrying a sucker. Antennal exopodite nine podomeres; endopodite three podomeres, in males third podomere with one stout, hook-shaped claw extending backwards. Mandibular endopodite two podomeres, first podomere with one ventral seta, basis without dorsal seta. Endopodite and exopodite of maxillula strongly reduced. Endopodite of fifth limb indistinct and with two setae. Both uropodal lamellae with six claws in males and females. Upper lip showing sexual dimorphism. Male copulatory organ consisting of a hook-shaped, short tube.

Type species

Kliecope mihoensis sp. nov.

Other species

Kliecope oligohalina (Tanaka & Tsukagoshi, 2010) comb. nov.

Etymology

The new genus is named after Dr h.c. Walter Klie in honour of his contribution to the study of interstitial Ostracoda.

Remarks

This new genus is most similar to Parapolycope with the following distinguishing characters: absence of the inward bulge of antennular second podomere, presence of two setae bearing a sucker of antennular third podomere, and absence of a dorsal seta on mandibular basis. Kliecope can be easily distinguished from all other genera by a reduced exopodite of the maxillula. Although we have included only two species in this genus, it is very likely that the following four species also belong in it: Parapolycope serridentata ( Hartmann, 1959) , Parapolycope aidae ( Hartmann, 1959) , Parapolycope noodti ( Hartmann, 1959) , and Parapolycope minuta ( Hartmann, 1974) . All these species also lack an inward bulge of antennula, do not have seta on the basis of mandibula, and have six claws of both uropodal lamellae. However, it is not sure if they also have two setae with a sucker on the male antennula, which is one of the diagnostic features of Kliecope , because their descriptions are not complete. In the case of Parapolycope oligohalina , which is here included in the new genus, the presence of the two suckers on the male antennula was confirmed with SEM.