Cerceis biforamina Javed and Yousuf 1996
Creators: name: Khalaji-Pirbalouty, Valiallah
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2018
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Malacostraca
Isopoda
Sphaeromatidae
Cerceis
Cerceis biforamina

description: Cerceis biforamina Javed and Yousuf, 1996
(Figs 1–5)
Cerceis biforamina Javed and Yousuf, 1996: 155 –161.
Type locality. Bulleji, Karachi, Pakistan.
Material examined. Chabahar, Darya Bozorg, Sistan and Baluchestan Province, Gulf of Oman, Iran, 0 5 May 2013, 25°16'38.36"N, 60°40'09.03"E, 3 ♀ (up to 9 mm); coll. V. Khalaji-Pirbalouty and A. Kazmi (ZMSU 1046). Chabahar, Darya Bozorg, Sistan and Baluchestan Province, Gulf of Oman, Iran, 0 1 January 2014, 25°16'38.36"N, 60°40'09.03"E, 1 ♂ (17.8 mm), 3 sub-adult ♂ (up to 12 mm), 4 ♀ (up to 12.6 mm), coll. V. Khalaji-Pirbalouty and A. Kazmi (ZMSU 1047).
Diagnosis. Pereonites 1 – 6 with row of short setae at posterior margins; pereonite 7 with row of tubercles and short setae at posterior margin. Pleon with scattered tubercles medially and in transverse row along posterior margin. Pleotelson with two prominent semilunar tuberculate ridges, trilobed distally with deep, parallel notch; medial lobe extending just beyond apices of lateral lobes. Uropod rami subequal, extending just beyond apex of medial lobe of pleotelson; exopod with acute apex; endopod bilobed distally.
Description of male (from Gulf of Oman, Iran). Body 2.46 times as long as greatest width. Head (Figs 1A, 5A) dorsal surfaces smooth, anterior margin round. Pereonites 1–6 smooth, posterior margins with row of short setae. Pereonite 7 posterior margin with transverse row of tubercles and short setae.
Pleon (Figs 1A, 5A, 5B) bearing transverse row of tubercles over two sutures, dorsomedial surface with numerous scattered uneven tubercles of various sizes. Pleotelson dorsally with two semilunate ridges bearing prominent tubercles, posterior margin with deep parallel notch, apex medial lobe extending just beyond lateral lobes apices.
Antennula (Fig. 1B, C) peduncle article 1, 2.6 times as long as wide, about 1.7 as long as article 2; article 3 narrow, slender; flagellum with 19 articles, articles 4–18 each bearing aesthetasc. Antenna (Fig. 1D) extending to posterior margin of pereonite 2, peduncle article 1 fringed with small setae dorsally, article 5 being longest, about 1.2 as long as article 4; flagellum with 22 articles.
Left mandible (Fig. 2C) spine row of 11 serrate spines; palp article 2 (Fig. 2D) longer than 1, articles 2 and 3 distolateral margins with approximately 18 and 23 biserrate setae. Maxillula (Fig. 2A) lateral endite with long fine setae on mesial margin, apical margin with 6 simple RS and 5 serrated RS. Maxilla (Fig. 2B) lateral and middle endites each with 10 curved pectinate RS; mesial endite with 4 rarely plumose, 2 long and 6 shorter robust combs. Maxilliped (Fig. 2E) endite distal margin with 17 blunt rarely plumose or circumplumose RS; palp articles 2 – 4 inferior margin with round and setosed lobes, palp articles 3 – 4 with single simple seta on superiodistal angle.
Pereopod 1 (Fig. 3A) basis about 2.1 times as long as greatest width, ischium superior margin with 1 curved, acute RS on proximal corner and numerous small RS on medial angle; merus, carpus and propodus inferior margins fringed with simple fine setae; merus superodistal angle with 2 serrate RS, inferior margin with 5 biserrate RS; carpus inferior margin with 3 biserrate RS; propodus inferior margin with 5 biserrate marginal RS, and 7 submarginal RS; dactylus inferior margin fringed with fine setae, secondary unguis simple.
Pereopod 2 (Fig. 3B) basis about 2.2 times as long as greatest width; ischium superior margin with 1 curved, acute RS on proximal corner; merus superodistal angle with 2 RS, inferior margin with 2 RS and 1 long seta; carpus inferior margin with 6 biserrate RS, and 1 long apically palmate seta, superodistal angle with 1 biserrate RS and 1 SPS; propodus inferior margin with 6 biserrate RS, superodistal angle with 3 long simple seta and single SPS.
Pereopod 4 (Fig. 3C) basis about 2.1 times as long as greatest width; ischium superior margin with 1 curved, acute RS on proximal angle; merus, carpus and propodus inferior margins fringed with simple fine setae; merus superodistal margin with 2 long RS, inferior margin with 1 biserrate RS and single long apically palmate seta; carpus inferior margin with 3 biserrate RS and single long apically palmate seta, distal margin with 2 biserrate RS, superodistal angle with 1 long biserrate RS and single SPS.
Pereopod 7 (Fig. 3D) basis about 3.1 times as long as greatest width, superior margin with several simple and 2 SPS; merus, carpus and propodus inferior margins fringed with simple fine setae; merus superodistal margin with 2 biserrate RS, inferior margin with 4 biserrate RS; carpus inferior margin with 8 biserrate RS, superodistal angle with 3 long biserrate RS; propodus superodistal corner with 4 slender and 1 single SPS, inferior margin with 7 biserrate RS.
Penial processes (Fig. 4A) about 3 times as long as basal width.
Pleopod 1 (Fig. 4B) exopod and endopod with 48 and 27 PMS respectively; sympod mesial margin with 3 coupling hooks, lateral margin fringed with fine setae.
Pleopod 2 (Fig. 4C) exopod and endopod with approximately 46 and 41 PMS; appendix masculua extending beyond endopod by about 0.45 its length, tapering evenly to narrowly rounded apex; sympod with 3 coupling hooks.
Pleopod 3 (Fig. 4D) exopod and endopod with approximately 45 and 22 PMS; exopod distal margins bearing pointed serrations (teeth); sympod with 3 coupling hooks, lateral margin fringed with thin setae, distolateral corner with single long plumose seta.
Pleopod 4 (Fig. 4E) exopod and endopod equal in length; endopod with pronounced and curved apical lobe; exopod with tiny triangular lobe on lateral margin proximally.
Pleopod 5 (Fig. 4F) exopod and endopod equal in length; exopod with 3 scale patches (2 on distal margin and 1 on medial margin), lateral margin with numerous slender simple marginal setae, distomedial margin fringed with fine setae; endopod distolateral margin fringed with fine setae on 0.5 its length.
Uropodal rami (Figs. 1A, 5A) subequal in length, extending just beyond pleotelsonic apex; exopod 1.1 times as wide as endopod, lateral margin with thick rim, granulated and setose, distally with conical acute tip; endopod distal, lateral and mesial margins fringed with dense setae; mesial margin convex, distal end with deep notch.
Female. Body 2.24 times as long as greatest width; without body ornamentation. Pleotelson posterior margin weakly tri-lobed, medial lobe not reaching to lateral lobes; uropod rami well extended beyond pleotelson apex; exopod longer than endopod, lateral and mesial margins fringed with dense setae (Fig. 5C).
Remarks. Cerceis biforamina Javed & Yousuf, 1996 is distinguished from all other species of the genus by a pleotelson with two prominent, semilunar, tuberculate, longitudinal ridges, a trilobed apex with deep parallel notch and a pleon with scattered, uneven tubercles on its dorsomedial surface. This species is most similar to C. bicarinata Barnard, 1936 from little Andaman Island, as both of these species have a pair of ridges on the pleotelson. Cerceis bicarinata is distinguishable by a pleon without prominent tubercles on the dorsal surface, a pleotelson with strongly setose ridges and well-separated apical lobes and uropodal endopods that extend much beyond the pleotelsonic apex (Barnard 1936:184, fig. 15). Cerceis granulata Pillai 1954 (from India: 83, figs. 51– 68) is distinguishable in having a pleotelson with four tuberculated domed bosses, a very deep pleotelsonic notch that reaches the articulation of the uropods and has a medial lobe that is much wider than the lateral lobes and a tuberculated uropodal endopod.
description: Published as part of Khalaji-Pirbalouty, Valiallah, 2018, Redescription of Cerceis biforamina Javed & Yousuf, 1996 from the Gulf of Oman (Crustacea: Isopoda: Sphaeromatidae) with remarks on the status of Cymodoce insolita Yousuf, 2011, pp. 375-384 in Zootaxa 4472 (2) on pages 378-383, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4472.2.10, http://zenodo.org/record/1440143