Brucerolis nowra, Poore & Storey, 2009

Poore, Gary & Storey, Melissa, 2009, Brucerolis gen. n., and Acutiserolis Brandt, 1988, deep-water southern genera of isopods (Crustacea, Isopoda, Serolidae), ZooKeys 18 (18), pp. 143-160 : 154-158

Brucerolis nowra sp. n.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:08D13D62-2FEA-4806-91FF-D3E40CB76E11

Figs 5–8

Material examined. Holotype. Australia, NSW, off Nowra (34°58.24´S- 34°56.24´S, 151°23.12´E- 151°29.06´E), 1750 m, Museum Victoria party on RV Franklin , 16 Jul 1986, epibenthic sled (stn SLOPE 15 ), NMV J58261 (male, 31 mm).

Paratypes. Type locality, NMV J55674 (male, 26 mm; ovigerous female, 27 mm), NMV J19213 (15 males, 25–29 mm, 11 juveniles, 15–22 mm), NIWA 49331 (2 males, 2 juveniles). Off Nowra (34°57.36´S- 34°52.48´S, 151°16.12´E- 51°18.36´E), 1402 m, Museum Victoria party on RV Franklin , 16 July 1986, epibenthic sled (stn SLOPE 11 ), NMV J15723 (male, 27 mm; ovigerous female, 25 mm; juvenile female, 20 mm). 52 km ENE of Nowra (34°43.33´S- 34°43.44´S, 151°13.10´E- 151°12.13´E), 450 m, Museum Victoria party on RV Franklin , 22 Oct 1988, epibenthic sled (stn SLOPE 57 ), NMV J19210 (damaged ovigerous female, 24 mm) .

Description. Body length 31 mm (holotype). Body as long as greatest width (at coxae 3). Middorsal line with short triangular middorsal processes on posterior mar- gin of head, pereonites 2–4 and pleonites 1–3, evident in lateral view; dorsal surface punctate. Head, anterolateral margins concave, lateral corners acute and strongly projecting anteriorly and dorsally; maximum width between anterolateral corners 1.1 times as wide as span between lateral margins of eyes; head without paired processes on transverse ridge at bases of antennae 1, with obsolete paired tubercles between eyes, without median posterior tubercle, with obscure lobes lateral to median posterior tubercle. Pereonite 1 of male, lateral margin convex anteriorly, straight over most of length, lateral margin upturned over anterior half, with sharply-crested submarginal ridge parallel to margin, dorsal surface with oblique-transverse ridge reaching near margin, otherwise unornamented. Coxal dorsal plate 2 of male 0.8 times as long as half pereonal tergite 2 width (following plates increasing in length); plate 4 of male as long as half pereonal tergite 4 width; plate 6 of male extending beyond tip of pleotelson by 2.3 times middorsal length of pleotelson, the pair diverging over entire length, curving evenly; pleonal epimeron 2 of male 1.5 times length of pleotelson; pleonal epimeron 3 of male length of pleotelson; pleonal epimera 2 and 3 with assymetrically emarginate apices. Ventral coxal plates 2–4 with transverse ridges on mesial, anterior and posterior margins outlining a transverse depression.

Antenna 1 peduncle articles 3+4 2.1 times as long as article 2 (anterior margin); flagellum with about 45 articles, 3.5 times as long as articles 3+4, reaching back to pleonite 2. Antenna 2 peduncle article 5 1.3 times as long as article 4; flagellum of 14 articles, 1.3 times as long as peduncle article 5.

Pereopod 1 propodus 2.1 times as long as greatest width. Pereopod 2 palm dorsal length 1.8 times greatest width, gently continuous, with free proximal margin, with 18 spiniform setae arranged in an oval over the proximal two-thirds of the palm. Pere- opod 5 of male basis 5.2 times as long as greatest width, of even width; merus with marginal setae; carpus 6 times as long as greatest width; propodus 7 times as long as greatest width; dactylus curved, half as long as propodus. Pereopod 6 of male merus setose, carpus 8 times as long as greatest width; propodus 11 times as long as greatest width; dactylus curved, 0.4 times as long as propodus. Pereopod 7 of male carpus 4.4 times as long as greatest width (near distal end); propodus 6.5 times as long as greatest width, propodus tapering from near base, lower margin straight; dactylus curved, 0.45 times as long as propodus.

Pleopod 2 endopod with convex distal margin, sharply tapering to base of appendix masculina; appendix masculina 3.6 times as long as straight margin of endopod. Uropodal rami with rounded apices; exopod 0.8 length of endopod.

Female. Pereonite 1, lateral margin of female sinuous anteriorly, straight posteriorly. Coxal dorsal plate 2 of female 0.5 times as long as half pereonal tergite 2 width; plate 4 of female 0.8 times as long as half pereonal tergite 4 width (following plates increasing in length); plate 6 of female extending beyond tip of pleotelson by 1.1 times middorsal length of pleotelson (in juvenile female), the pair diverging and then converging slightly apically, curving evenly.

Etymology. Nowra, a coastal town near the type locality; noun in apposition.

Distribution. Off southern NSW, Australia, south-eastern Tasman Sea; 450–1750 m.

Remarks. Coxal plates and epimera tend to become relatively longer in larger animals. Females are distinguished from males by the absence of modified pereopods 2 and 7 and in the sinuous lateral margin of pereonite 1. Brucerolis nowra is distinguished by the strongly upturned and produced anterolateral lobes on the head (fig. 6e) from others in the genus (already described and yet to be described by us in another work) where these lobes are obsolete or not upturned.

Figures

Figure 5. Photographs of preserved material. Brucerolis nowra, sp. n. a, b male (26 mm) NMV J15723 c paratype juvenile female (20 mm) NMV J15723 d holotype male (31 mm) NMV J58261 e paratype male (26 mm) NMV J55674. Scale bar referable to all except b.

Figure 6. Brucerolis nowra, sp. n., holotype male (31 mm) NMV J58261. a, b ventral views c dorsal view d lateral profile e lateral view of head aļ, a2 antennae 1, 2 pļ pereopods 1 u uropod. Paratype juvenile female (20 mm) NMV J15723. f, dorsal view (partial reconstruction from two sides).

Figure 7. Brucerolis nowra, sp. n., holotype male (31 mm) NMV J58261. mdl, mdr mandible incisor, lacinia mobilis and spine, left and right mdp mandibular palp, distal articles mxļ, mx2 maxillae 1, 2 mp maxilliped.

Figure 8. Brucerolis nowra, sp. n., holotype male (31 mm) NMV J58261. p2–p7 pereopods 2–7 (pereopod 2 palm in lateral and face detail) pl2 pleopod 2.