Limnoria carinata, Menzies & Becker, 1957

Castelló, José, 2011, The genus Limnoria (Limnoriidae, Isopoda, Crustacea) in Europe, including a key to species, Zootaxa 2968 (1), pp. 1-25 : 6-8

L. carinata Menzies & Becker, 1957

( Figs 4–6 )

Types. Not known to exist.

Material examined. Neotype, male [B] (4.0 mm length, with 23 slides ( ZMB 27727)), aquaria culture in the BAM (original source of specimens: Naples harbour). Paratypes, male [A] 4.1 mm length (with 1 slide), male [C] 2.7 mm length (used for SEM examination), male [D] 3.1 mm length with pereion dorsally damaged (not dissected), ovigerous female 3.2 mm length (not dissected) (Personal collection of Dr. L.J. Cookson, Monash University, Australia). Specimens obtained from the BAM, West Germany. Sample labelled as “ L. carinata, Juni 68 La Spezia (1964)”. Cookson (pers. com.) considers that the specimens were taken from the same aquaria culture in the BAM, which was used in 1955–57 to describe the species, but perhaps these specimens were removed from the culture in 1964 or 1968 .

Type locality. Naples , Italy .

Diagnosis. Mandibles with rasp and file. Pleonite 5 Y-shaped carina, without tubercles. Pleotelson with three pairs of carinae without tubercles, the central longest, and lateral pairs shorter, not prominent. Posterior dorsal margin without tubercles but with spike–like bristles. Pleotelsonic margin with scale spikes, and stout unsheathed setae.

Description of the male neotype (ZMB 27727) [male B].

Antenna 1 with 4 flagellar articles; second article with 10 aesthetascs. Flagellum of antenna 2 with 4 articles.

Mandibular palp with 3 articles; distal article with 6 setae. Mandibular incisors with rasp and file. Lacinia mobilis of right mandible expanded at apex, with several apical teeth. Epipod of maxilliped triangulate, not reaching the articulation palp–endite; epipod with simple setae; length-width ratio: 2.9.

Secondary unguis of pereopod 1 bifid. Pereopods 6–7 with ventral comb seta on carpus. Pereopod 7 with ventral comb seta on merus.

Pleopod 2 with plumose setae up to 0.7 times length of exopod. Appendix masculina long, reaching beyond endopodal tip; inserted at 43% of the length of the endopod. Endopod with 6 setae, and exopod with 21 setae. Endopod of pleopod 5 anterior to exopod; simple seta laterally on peduncle.

Uropod peduncle and endopod without tubercles; endopod 0.7 length of peduncle.

Additional characters: Tegument (of male [C], observed under SEM) pitted, especially on pleonite 5 and anterior section of pleotelson; scaly (scales fused and fringed with 1–2 conspicuous spikes); spike-like bristles on the posterior section of pleotelson. Pleotelsonic margin with scale spikes, and stout unsheathed setae; sheathed setae scarce (absent in the ovigerous female, and scarce in males [B] and [D], placed not on the pleotelsonic margin but on the dorsal surface near to the margin).

Variation. Second article of antenna 1 with 12 aesthetascs, distal article of mandibular palp with 7 setae, length-width ratio of maxillipedal epipod: 2.6, and endopod and exopod of pleopod 2 with 7 and 22 setae respectively in male [A] paratype.

Distribution. Western Italian coast, from La Spezia to Naples; shallow water ( Menzies & Becker, 1957).

Remarks. Menzies & Becker (1957) did not fully describe the species (see Table 1). Furthermore, the type locality is confused. It is surprising that the label of the specimens examined in the present study (supposedly with the same origin of the types) said “La Spezia” because the types are from Naples harbour. However, according to Menzies & Becker (1957), Dr. W.-D. Kampf collected some specimens from La Spezia, on some floating drifting timber, also examined with the types: this may be the origin of the confusion. The type series of specimens are reported to be deposited at the SNM, the BAM, the SMF, and the ZMB; I tried to find these specimens: Dr. M. Schotte (SNM) said that there is no record of them in the collection; Dr. O. Coleman (ZMB) sent me the two samples in the museum labelled as L. carinata (samples 25735 and 25736 of SeSam database, from Venice and Naples respectively) but unfortunately these samples in fact contained specimens of L. mazzellae (25735) and L. tuberculata (25736); and Dr. M. Türkay (SMF) said that his museum had no specimens. Therefore, the only available series of specimens is that of Dr. L.J. Cookson, obtained from the BAM, and presumably with the same origin of the series of specimens used by Menzies & Becker to describe the species. This situation leads me to establish a neotype. The series of specimens is deposited in the ZMB (27727).

Figures

FIGURE 4. Limnoria carinata Menzies & Becker, 1957. Neotype male [B], ZMB 27727. A, schematic figure of pleotelson. B, antenna 1. C, antenna 2. D, left mandible. E, right mandible. F, maxilla 1. G, maxilla 2. H, maxilliped. Scale bars: A = 0.25 mm, B–H = 0.1 mm.

FIGURE 5. Limnoria carinata Menzies & Becker, 1957. Neotype male [B], ZMB 27727. A, pereopod 1. B, pereopod 3. C, pereopod 5. D, pereopod 7. Scale bar: A–D = 0.1 mm.

FIGURE 6. Limnoria carinata Menzies & Becker, 1957. Neotype male [B], ZMB 27727. A, pleopod 1. B, endopod of pleopod 2. C, pleopod 3. D, pleopod 4. E, uropod. Paratype male [A], ZMB 27727. F, antenna 1. G, lacinia mobilis of right mandible. H, pereopod 7 without setae. I, pleopod 2. J, pleopod 5. Scale bars: A = 0.25 mm, B–F, I–J = 0.1 mm, G = 0.0075 mm, H = 0.5 mm.