Niphargus zagrosensis Mirghaffari & Esmaeili-Rineh 2024, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Mirghaffari, Seyyed Ahmad
name: Esmaeili-Rineh, Somayeh
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2024
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Malacostraca
Amphipoda
Niphargidae
Niphargus
Niphargus zagrosensis

description: Niphargus zagrosensis sp. nov.   
Figs 7, 8, 9, 10  
Diagnosis  
 (based on male only). The propodi of gnathopod II triangular shape. Gnathopod II dactylus does not reach posterior margin of palm. Pereopod VI longer than pereopod VII. Maxilliped outer plate does not reach half of the posterior margin of palp article 2. Uropod III distal article exceeds more than 80 % times proximal article. Outer plate of maxilla I with seven long spines with 4-2 - 1 - 2 - 1 - 1 - 0 denticles.   
Etymology.  
The name “ zagrosensis ” refers to Zagros Mountains in the west of Iran, where the species was found.  
Material examined.  
  Holotype.  Iran • male; Markazi Province, 54 km to Saveh City, Kahak Spring; coordinates 35 ° 5.28 ' N, 49 ° 49.02 ' E. Specimens collected by S. A. Mirghaffari; 20 July 2022. Holotype with two paratypes are stored under catalogue number ZCRU Amph. 1501.   
Description of holotype.  
The total length of specimen 10.5 mm. Body strong and stout. Head length 10.5 % of body length. Lateral cephalic lobes sub-rounded (Fig. 7 A).  
  Antennae I – II.  Antennae I 0.45 times body length. Peduncular articles 1–3 progressively shorter; length of peduncular article 3 not exceeds half of peduncular article 2 (ratio 1: 0.4). Main flagellum with 23 articles (most of which with short setae); accessory flagellum biarticulated and reaching 1 / 3 of article 4 of main flagellum, articles with two simple setae each (Fig. 7 B). Antennae II flagellum with 11 articles, approximately 0.54 as long as antenna I. Peduncular article 4 longer than article 5, with 11 and 10 groups of simple setae, respectively. Flagellum length is 0.71 peduncle article 4 + 5 (Fig. 7 C).   
  Mouthparts.  Labium bi-lobate; with fine setae on tip of both lobes (Fig. 8 D). Right mandible with four teeth on incisor process, lacinia mobilis pluritoothed; between pars incisiva and pars molaris a row of six setae with lateral projections (Fig. 7 G). Left mandible with five teeth, lacinia mobilis with four teeth; between pars incisiva and pars molaris a row of six setae with lateral projections (Fig. 7 H). Mandibular palp articles 1: 2: 3 represent 19 %, 40 % and 41 % of total palp length, respectively. The proximal article has no setae, the second article with seven setae along ventral margin and the third article with one group of two A-setae, three groups of B-setae, no C-setae, 14 D-setae and five E-setae (Fig. 7 D). Inner plate of maxilla I with two long distal simple setae; outer plate with seven long spines with 4-2 - 1 - 2 - 1 - 1 - 0 denticles; palp bi-articulated, slightly longer than the tip of outer lobe, with three long distal simple setae (Fig. 7 E, F). Maxilla II bi-lobate (Fig. 8 C). Both plates of maxilla II with numerous distal simple setae. Inner lobe with lateral simple setae (Fig. 7 C). Maxilliped with short inner plate bearing four distal spines intermixed with six distal simple setae; outer plate less than half of the posterior margin of palp article 2, with 10 spines along inner margin and seven setae distally. Maxilliped palp article 3 with one proximal and one distal group of long simple setae at outer margin; palp terminal article with one seta at outer margin and two small setae at base of nail, nail shorter than pedestal (Fig. 8 E).   
  Gnathopods.  Coxa of gnathopod I shorter than gnathopod II. Coxal plate of gnathopod I trapezoid shape, ventro-posterior margins with 12 simple setae. Basis with several setae on anterior and posterior margins; ischium and merus with one posterior group of setae each. Carpus with one group of four setae antero-distally, a bulge with long simple setae; carpus 0.7 times basis length and 0.75 times propodus length. Propodus of gnathopod I rectangular shape; anterior margin with one group of five setae in addition to antero-distal group of five simple setae. Palm slightly convex, defined by one strong long corner S-seta accompanied laterally by three L-setae with lateral projections, on inner surface of palmar corner one short sub-corner R-seta. Dactylus reaching the posterior margin of propodus, outer and inner margins of dactylus with a row of two and three simple setae, respectively; nail short, 0.33 of total dactylus length (Fig. 8 A).   
Coxal plate of gnathopod II rectangular shape, with 13 setae along antero-ventro-posterior margins. Basis with single setae along anterior margin and with setae in group along posterior margin; ischium and merus with one posterior group of setae each. Carpus 0.4 times basis length and 0.59 times propodus length. Carpus with one group of four setae antero-distally. Propodus of gnathopod II larger than gnathopod I, triangle shape and broader than long; anterior margin with three setae in one group in addition to antero-distal group of three simple setae. Palm slightly convex, defined by one strong long corner S-seta accompanied laterally by two L-setae with lateral projections, on inner surface of palmar corner one short sub-corner R-seta. Dactylus does not reach the posterior margin of propodus, outer and inner margins of dactylus with two and three simple setae, respectively. Nail length 0.29 times total dactylus length (Fig. 8 B).  
  Pereonites I – VII.  Pereonites II and IV with one seta each; others pereonites without setae.   
  Pereopods.  Coxal plate III rectangular shape, length to width ratio as 1.2: 1; antero-ventral margin with nine simple setae. Coxal plate IV rectangular shape, length to width ratio as 1: 1.02, antero-ventro-posterior margins with 12 simple setae, posterior concavity shallow and approximately 0.1 of coxa width. Coxal plate V with large anterior lobe, with five and three simple setae on anterior and posterior lobes, respectively. Coxal plate VI with anterior lobe, with four and three simple setae on anterior and posterior lobes, respectively. Coxal plate VII with one simple seta on posterior margin (Fig. 9 A – E).   
Pereopods length III: IV ratio is 1: 0.94. Dactylus III length 0.40 times propodus length, nail shorter than pedestal (Fig. 9 A). Dactylus IV length 0.43 times propodus length, nail shorter than pedestal (Fig. 9 B). Dactyli of pereopods III – IV with one seta on inner margin (Fig. 9 A, B).  
Pereopods length V: VI: VII ratios is 1: 1.28: 1.25, respectively. Pereopod VII 0.48 times total body length. Pereopod bases V – VII each with seven, seven and six groups of spines along anterior margins and 13, 13 and 14 simple setae along posterior margin, respectively. Ischium, merus and carpus in pereopods V – VII with several groups of spines and simple setae along anterior and posterior margins; propodus of pereopod VI longer than these in V and VII, dactyli of pereopods V – VII with one spine at the base of nail on inner margin, nail length of pereopod VII 0.33 times total dactylus length (Fig. 9 A – E).  
  Epimeral plates I – III.  With angular postero-ventral corner, anterior and ventral margins convex; postero-ventral corners of plates I-III with three, four and five spines and setae, respectively. Epimeral plates II – III with three and four spines along of ventral margin, respectively (Fig. 10 G).   
  Pleonites I – III.  With one simple seta along the dorsal margin each.   
  Pleopods I – III.  Peduncle of pleopods I – III with two-hooked retinacles distally; peduncle of pleopod III with three simple setae along of inner margin. Rami of pleopods I – III with nine to 14 articles (Fig. 10 A – C).   
  Urosomites I – III.  At the base of uropod I with one strong spine. Urosomites I and II with one and three spines on postero-distally, respectively. Urosomite III without setae.   
  Uropods I – III.  Peduncle of uropod I with seven and four large spines along dorso-lateral and dorso-medial margins, respectively. Inner ramus of uropod I longer than outer ramus (ratio 1: 1.06). Inner ramus with five groups of spines laterally and five spines distally; outer ramus with four groups of six spines laterally and five spines distally (Fig. 10 D). Inner ramus in uropod II longer than outer, both rami with lateral and distal long spines (Fig. 10 E). Uropod III long, almost 0.44 times body length. Peduncle of uropod III with four spines on distal margin. Outer ramus bi-articulated, distal article 87 % times proximal article. The proximal article of outer ramus bearing five and four groups of spines along of outer and inner margins, respectively; distal article with several groups of simple setae laterally and four simple setae distally. Inner ramus short, with two distal spines (Fig. 10 F).   
  Telson.  Telson longer than broad; lobes slightly narrowing; each lobe with four spines apically, with two spines and two simple setae laterally (Fig. 10 H).   
 Female. Unknown.
description: Published as part of Mirghaffari, Seyyed Ahmad & Esmaeili-Rineh, Somayeh, 2024, Two new species of groundwater-inhabiting amphipods belonging to the genus Niphargus (Arthropoda, Crustacea), from Iran, pp. 721-738 in Zoosystematics and Evolution 100 (2) on pages 721-738, DOI: 10.3897/zse.100.118051