Nicolenella hueyi Perina & Camacho, 2025

Perina, Giulia, Camacho, Ana I., Morgan, Liesel, Floeckner, Stephanie & Guzik, Michelle T., 2025, Morphological and molecular description of ten new species of a new genus of Parabathynellidae (Bathynellacea, Crustacea) from the Pilbara region, Western Australia, Zootaxa 5712 (1), pp. 1-103 : 42-46

Nicolenella hueyi Perina & Camacho , sp. nov.

( Figs. 10 , 11 , Appendix 7C)

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:

Material examined. Holotype male. AUSTRALIA: Western Australia: Brockman, Pilbara , bore MB19 BS3X0009 ( stygo net haul), 22°29'00.1817"S, 117°27'33.0419"E, 17 October 2020, M. Lythe, S. Floeckner ( WAMC 79052 - BES10082 _ BMR02330 , permanent slide).

Paratypes AUSTRALIA: Western Australia: 1 male, Brockman, Pilbara, Bore GR19BS3X0042 ( stygo net haul), 22°29'43.9494"S, 117°26'38.6520"E, 18 October 2020, F. S. Rodman, M. van Wees ( WAMC 79041 - BES8275 b-BMR02299, permanent slide) ; 1 female, Brockman, Pilbara, Bore MB19 BS3X0007 ( stygo net haul), 22°29'19.5223"S, 117°27'11.6734"E, 20 February 2021, J. Huey, S. Rodman ( WAMC 79043 - BES11184 aBMR02590, permanent slide) ; 1 male, same details as WAMC 79043 ( WAMC 79044 - BES11184 b-BMR02591, permanent slide) ; 1 female, bore RC11BS3007 ( stygo net haul), 22°29`28.22"S, 117°26`45.51"E, 18 October 2020, F. S. Rodman, M. van Wees ( WAMC 79057 - BES10261 b-BMR02293, permanent slide) ; 1 female, bore RC19BS3X0354 ( stygo net haul), 22°28'56.6569"S, 117°27'27.0029"E, 20 February 2021, F. S. Rodman, M. van Wees ( WAMC 79065 - BES10016 e-BMR02597, permanent slide) .

Additional material AUSTRALIA: Western Australia: 2 males, 2 females, same details as WAMC 79043 ( WAMC 79042 - BES10408 , in ethanol) ; 1 female, same details as WAMC 79044 ( WAMC 79045 - BES11184 c-BMR02592, in ethanol) ; 1 female, bore MB19 BS3X0007, 18 October 2020, S. Rodman, M. van Wees, ( WAM C79046 - BES10325 aBMR02287, in ethanol) ; 1 female, ( WAMC 79047 - BES10325 b-BMR02288, in ethanol) , 1 male ( WAMC 79048 BES10325 c-BMR02289,, in ethanol) , 1 male ( WAMC 79049 - BES10325 d-BMR02290, in ethanol) , 1 male ( WAMC 79050 - BES10325 e-BMR02291, in ethanol), same details as WAMC 79046 ; 1 female ( WAMC 79051 - BES11184 d, in ethanol) same details as WAMC 79043 ; 1 female, bore RC11BS3007, 10 October 2018, S. Rodman, T. de Silva ( WAMC 79053 - BES4211 - BMR00480 , in ethanol) ; 1 male ( WAMC 79054 - BES4253 - BMR00246 , in ethanol) , 1 juvenile ( WAMC 79055 - BES4435 - BMR00418 , in ethanol) , 1 specimen (sex not available) ( WAMC 79056 - BES7592 - BMR00420 , in ethanol) same details as WAMC 79053 ; 1 female ( WAMC 79058 - BES10261 cBMR02294, in ethanol) same details as WAMC 79057 ; 1 female, bore RC11BS3007, 10 October 2018, S. Rodman, T. de Silva ( WAMC 79059 - BES4393 - BMR00604 , in ethanol) ; 1 juvenile ( WAMC 79060 - BES4881 , in ethanol) same details as WAMC 79059 ; 3 juveniles, bore RC11BS3007, 14 April 2019, S. Callan, M. Lythe ( WAMC 79061 - BES5141 , in ethanol) ; 1 male, RC11BS3007, 10 October 2018 S. Rodman, T. de Silva ( WAMC 79062 - BES5986 , in ethanol) ; 10 specimens, bore RC11BS3007, 14 April 2019, S. Callan, M. Lythe ( WAMC 79063 - BES6008 , in ethanol) ; 1 male ( WAMC 79064 - BES10016 c-BMR02595, in ethanol) , 1 male ( WAMC 79066 - BES10016 d, in ethanol) , 1 female ( WAMC 79067 - BES10016 f, in ethanol) , 38 specimens ( WAMC 79068 - BES 10016g, in ethanol), same details as WAMC 79065 ; 1 male, bore RC19BS3X0366 ( stygo net haul), 22°28'50.6100"S, 117°27'10.8014"E, 20 February 2021, J. Huey, S. Rodman ( WAMC 79069 - BES11104 - BMR02589 ) .

Diagnosis. AI seven-segmented with the fifth article very small. AII six-segmented with the fifth article as small as the first three. Mandibular palp formed by one long segment and one seta that does not extend beyond the distal end of the pars incisiva. Distal endite of maxillula with six claws. Two to four articles on exopod of thoracopods. Male thoracopod VIII trapezoidal, about 1.5 times as long as wide. Sympod of the uropod with non-homonomous spines, with the two distal ones longer than the rest. Exopod and endopod similar in length; exopod without basiventral seta. Furca with few smaller inner spines and two distal ones twice as long as the rest. It differs from all other species of Nicolenella gen. nov. by the combination of characters listed in Supplementary Material Table S2. The sequenced specimens differ from all the other Nicolenella gen. nov., Billibathynella and Brevisomabathynella species sequenced by COI = 11.8–29.1% and 12S = 11.2–36.5% ( Table 3, Appendix 2, 3).

Description male holotype (WAMC 79052). Body length 0.75 mm. Body nearly six times as long as maximum width, elongated, almost cylindrical, segments slightly widening and lengthening towards posterior end of body (Appendix 7C).

Antennula ( Fig. 10A ): seven-segmented, slightly longer than two times AII. The first article is the longest, followed by the second, third and seventh that are similar in length, the fourth and sixth are slightly shorter and similar in length and double the length of the fifth, which is the shortest. Inner flagellum rectangular. The last two articles with three terminal aesthetascs, and two aesthetascs on the fifth article. Antennular setation as in Fig. 10A .

Antenna ( Fig. 10B ): six-segmented; the first three articles and the fifth are very short and similar in length; the fourth article is twice as long as the fifth, the last article is the longest and about three times the length of the fifth. Setal formula of AII: 0+0/0+0/1+1/1+1/0+0/4(1).

Labrum ( Fig. 10C ): flat, free edge with 10 teeth.

Paragnaths: absent.

Mandible ( Fig. 10D ): pars incisiva with four teeth; pars molaris with five and six claws, the four distal ones denticulated and the two most proximal ones joined together; tooth of ventral edge triangular. Mandibular palp with one long article and the seta reaching the distal end of the pars molaris.

Maxillula ( Fig. 10E ): proximal endite with four unequal claws, the most proximal one long and strong; distal endite with six claws: two apical smooth and four denticulated; three smooth, unequal subterminal setae on the outer distal margin.

Maxilla ( Fig. 10F ): four-segmented, setal formula 3,4,13,2.

Thoracopods I to VII ( Figs. 11A–G ): length slightly increasing from thoracopod one to four, last three similar in size. Epipod present in all thoracopods, about half of the length of the corresponding basipod. All basipods with one distolateral seta shorter than the first article of the endopod on ThI and VII, and the same length as the first article in other thoracopods. Exopod of ThI, VI and VII shorter than endopod, exopod similar to endopod in ThII to V. Exopod of all thoracopods with two very long distal setae on each article (ThVI has one exopod with three setae on the first article). Number of exopodal segments of thoracopods I–VII: 2-3-3-3-3-2-2. Endopod four-segmented, first article short, half as long as the second and third, which are similar, and the fourth one very small in all thoracopods; first and second article of all thoracopods bearing an outer plumose seta; first and second article of ThI bearing two smooth inner setae, first and second article bearing respectively zero and one inner seta in other thoracopods; third article with one small outer distal seta on all thoracopods, and one inner seta on ThI only; fourth article with two strong claws of different length and one smooth seta on all thoracopods. Setal formula of endopods as follow:

ThI 2+1/2+1/1+1/3(1)

ThII-VII 0+1/1+1/0+1/3(1)

Thoracopod VIII ( Fig. 10 G,H ): compact, almost square. Penial region with massive protopod. Long rounded outer lobe, not reaching the distal end of basipod, and not fully defined at base in latero-external view. Dentate lobe with several distal teeth. Inner lobe longer than outer lobe reaching the distal end of basipod. Basipod without seta and with anterior crest (or projection). Exopod with a pair of short setae and larger than endopod, which bears two unequal distal setae.

Pleopod I ( Fig. 11H ): one segmented with a long smooth seta.

Uropod ( Fig. 11I ): sympod about 2.6 times longer than wide and 1.7 times longer than endopod and exopod, which are similar in length, with five spines, the two distal ones slightly longer than others, occupying half of the sympod length. Endopod with two distal strong spines and two smaller inner ones, two plumose dorsal setae (one proximal, one subdistal) that exceed the end of the endopod, and two long barbed distal setae of different length. Exopod with four barbed setae, two terminal and two dorsal of increasing length from the basal one.

Pleotelson ( Fig. 11J ): with one very small plumose lateral seta on each side; anal operculum not protruded.

Furca ( Fig. 11J ): trapezoidal, slightly longer than wide, with two large distal barbed spines and four smaller ones on the inner margin. Two dorsal plumose setae, the inner one short and the outer one reaching beyond the end of the distal spine.

Female paratypes differ from male in the small triangular shape ThVIII ( Fig. 10I ).

Variability: variability was observed in body size (males 0.72–1.13 mm and females 0.85–1.7 mm); number of exopodal articles on the thoracopods (2 to 4); number of spines on sympod of uropod (5 to 7) and number of spines on furcal rami (6 to 8).

Distribution and remarks. N. hueyi sp. nov. has been collected in six bores near Boolegeeda creek (Ashburton River) ( Fig. 6 , 9B ). This species was previously known by Biologic Environmental Surveys as Parabathynellidae sp. “Biologic-PBAT004”. N.hueyi sp. nov. can be distinguished by the combination of characters listed in Supplementary Material Table S2. It is part of a partially well-supported clade ( Fig. 2 ) formed by one species collected in the Onslow River Catchment, and four species collected geographically close in the Ashburton River Catchment ( N. nguyenae sp. nov., N. mittrai sp. nov., N. vanweesae sp. nov., N. rodmani sp. nov.) ( Figs. 6 , 9B ).

Etymology. The name of the species is dedicated to Joel Huey, one of the collectors of this species and colleague who has extensively worked on the genetic aspect of Parabathynellidae in Australia.

Figures

FIGURE 2. Concatenated three-genes ML tree with collapsed nodes. Green nodes=supported clades. Orange nodes/ support=partially supported clades. * New taxa defined in this study. Blue star = putative species included in Nicolenella gen. nov.

FIGURE 6. Nicolenella gen. nov. species distribution in the Pilbara region.

FIGURE 9. Nicolenella gen. nov. species distribution in four areas of interest in rectangles in Fig 6 and Nicolenella pilbaraensis comb. nov. clade (from concatenated three-genes ML tree).

FIGURE 10. Nicolenella hueyi sp. nov. (A–H) Male holotype (WAMC 79052). (A) Antennule (dorsal view); (B) Antenna (dorsal view); (C) Labrum (male paratype WAMC 79041); (D) Mandible; (E) Maxillule; (F) Maxilla (dorsal view); (G–H) Thoracopod VIII; (I) Thoracopod VIII (female paratype WAMC 79043); (J) Labrum (female paratype WAMC 79043). (O.Lb) outer lobe, (I.Lb) inner lobe, (D.Lb) dentate lobe; (Bsp) basipod, (Exp) exopod and (Endp) endopod. Scale bar in mm.

FIGURE 11. Nicolenella hueyi sp. nov. (A–J) Male holotype (WAMC 79052). (A) Thoracopod I; (B) Thoracopod II; (C) Thoracopod III; (D) Thoracopod IV; (E) Thoracopod V; (F) Thoracopod VI; (G) Thoracopod VII; (H) Pleopod; (I) Uropod (latero-external view); (J) Furcal rami (dorsal view). Scale bar in mm.