Speleonectes kakuki Daenekas, Iliffe, Yager & Koenemann, 2009, new species
Creators: name: Daenekas, Jana
name: Iliffe, Thomas M.
name: Yager, Jill
name: Koenemann, Stefan
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2009
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Remipedia
Nectiopoda
Speleonectidae
Speleonectes
Speleonectes kakuki

description: Speleonectes kakuki, new species
(Figs. 1–5)
Type locality: Guardian Cave, North Andros, Bahamas.
Material examined (see also appendix): BAHAMAS - North Andros, Guardian Blue Hole: Holotype (USNM 1120738; our ID = BH-321; Figs. 1, 2), 32 trunk segments, 26 mm; collected by B. Kakuk, 24 Jul. 2000; limbs of trunk segment 10 used for DNA analyses. Paratype 1 (our ID = BH-330), 33 trunk segments, 23.4 mm; collected by B. Kakuk, 3 Jan. 2001; completely dissected for description (Figs. 2–5); remaining body parts used for DNA analyses. North Andros, Conch Sound Blue Hole: Paratype 2 (USNM 1120739; our ID = BH-335), 33 trunk segments, 18 mm; collected by B. Kakuk, 27 Jan. 2001; one maxillule dissected. Paratype 3 (our ID = BH-334), 35 trunk segments, 26.5 mm; collected by B. Kakuk, 21 Jan. 2001. South Andros, Stargate Blue Hole: Paratype 4 (our ID = BH-82), 31 trunk segments, 19 mm; collected by R. Palmer, Feb. 1985. Cat Island, Gaiter’s Blue Hole: Paratype 5 (our ID = 04-021.1), 32 trunk segments, 24 mm; used for DNA analyses; collected by T. Iliffe, 14. Aug. 2004. Paratype 6 (USNM 1120740; our ID = 04- 021.2), 33 trunk segments, 24 mm; used for DNA analyses; collected by T. Iliffe, 14. Aug. 2004. Paratype 7 (our ID = 04-021.3), 32 trunk segments, 19 mm; used for DNA analyses; collected by T. Iliffe, 14. Aug. 2004. Paratype 8 (our ID = 04-021.4), 32 trunk segments, 22 mm; collected by T. Iliffe, 14. Aug. 2004; completely dissected for description (Fig. 5). Paratype 9 (our ID = 04-021.5), 34 trunk segments, 19 mm; collected by T. Iliffe, 14. Aug. 2004.
All specimens are preserved in alcohol; dissected body parts and/or specimens are stored in glycerine. The holotype, paratype 2 and paratype 6 have been deposited in the National Museum of National History, Smithsonian Institution; all remaining types remain in the research collections of JY and SK.
Etymology: The new species is named to honor the cave diver Brian Kakuk, who collected numerous fish and invertebrates from Bahamian caves, including the new species described herein, which he generously provided for scientific research.
Diagnosis: Speleonectes kakuki is a large and robust species (Fig. 1). Trunk segments equipped with welldeveloped, angular pleural tergites and heteromorphic sternal bars. Dorsal ramus of antennule composed of 12 articles, ventral ramus with 9–10 articles. Maxillule, maxilla and maxilliped stout; lacertus and brachium of maxilla and maxilliped pilose, with arc-shaped terminal claws composed of 12–14 denticles. The anal somite is longer than wide, with caudal rami approximately as long as the anal somite.
Description: Body length up to 26.5 mm, with 32–35 trunk segments. Head shield subrectangular to trapezoidal, tapering anteriorly, as long as trunk segments 1–3 (Fig. 2 A–C). Frontal filaments with relatively short medial processes (Fig. 3 F). First trunk segment small, pleural tergite reduced; pleural tergites of remaining trunk segments well-developed, with angular distolateral corners pointing posteriorly. Sternal bars heteromorphic; with parallel margins on segments 1–13; large, with concave distal margin on segment 14; narrow, with parallel margins approximately up to segment 20, becoming triangular flaps towards trunk terminus (Fig. 2 D). Posterior-most trunk segment (adjacent to anal somite) sometimes naked (without tergites and limb buds).
Antennule (Fig. 3 A): Peduncular pad small, with a field of closely packed aesthetascs. Dorsal flagellum with 12 articles, reaching approximately 25% of body length. Ventral flagellum with 9–10 articles (sutures of proximal articles indistinguishable), as long as head shield.
Antenna (Fig. 3 B): Proximal segment of protopod with four fine setae; distal segment shorter, with 9–10 setae. Exopod oval, slightly wider and shorter than protopod, equipped with 28–32 setae. First segment of endopod with 7–9 setae; second segment with 8–10 setae; third segment slightly larger than previous segments, bearing 20–22 setae arranged in 2 rows along distal margin. All setae plumose.
Labrum (Fig. 3 G): Corners rounded with few fine setules; funnel-formed cavity surrounded by numerous fine setae, unilaterally with rows of denticles.
Mandible (Fig. 3 C–E) broadly rounded, more than twice as long as wide. Incisor process and lacina mobilis of right mandible each with 3 stout denticles (Fig. 3 E). Incisor process of left mandible with 4 stout denticles, lacina mobilis crescent-shaped, concave apical margin serrated (Fig. 3 D). Apical surface of molar process with fine setae of variable length.
Maxillule robust (Fig. 4 A, D–F): Segment 1 with relatively long endite, apical margin equipped with 6–7 stout setae of variable length, 2 of which setulose and finely serrated (Fig. 4 D). Segment 2 with large, broadly rounded spatulate endite; distolateral margin with 4 long and 2 short setae; distomedial margin with 10 setae (becoming increasingly longer and stouter towards apex), accompanied by irregular rows of very short, stout setae; all setae on endite of segment 2 simple, except 1 plumose, rasp-like seta on apex (Fig. 4 A, E). Segment 3 with slightly rounded medial endite; apex with 2 very stout, long and rasp-like setae accompanied by several slender setae of variable length (Fig. 4 A, F). Segment 4 (lacertus) robust, with oblique, evenly expanded medial margin, bearing 12–13 setae of unequal length arranged in a double row; proximal corner with 2–3 stout, rasp-like setae. Segment 5 comparatively robust, with distomedial field of setae. Segment 6 short, with 2 disjunct distal fields of setae. Claw well-developed, with medioproximal field of setae.
Maxilla longer than maxillule (Fig. 4 B, G): Endites of segment 1 each with 1 large apical seta accompanied by 4–6 apical and subapical setae of variable length; largest endite with distinct subapical angle bearing 3–4 long setae. Segment 2 relatively well-developed, saddle-shaped, with row of about 12 setae of variable length. Segment 3 large, bulging inner margin with a double row of 41–48 setae of variable length. Segment 4 expanded, but shorter than segment 3; segments 4, 5 and 6 gradually decreasing in width and length, bearing double rows of setae along medial margins. Arc-shaped claw with 12–14 fused denticles flanked by 2 stronger free denticles (Fig. 4 G).
Maxilliped relatively robust, longer than maxilla (Fig. 4 C). Proximal segments 1–3 bearing only a few setae. Segment 4 very long, medial margin evenly expanded, equipped with 37–48 long and short setae arranged in a double row. Segment 5 expanded, but distinctly shorter than segment 4, with row of setae on mediodistal margin. Segments 6–8 with similarly appearance, gradually decreasing in length and width, with double rows of mediodistal setae. Claw similar to that of maxilla.
Biramous, paddle-shaped trunk limbs (TL) largest in mid-trunk region, becoming gradually smaller and less developed towards posterior end of trunk (Fig. 5 A–C). Reduced first trunk segment (TS) bearing a pair of relatively slender limbs (Fig. 5 A), appendages of mid-trunk region (TS 4-20) broad and expanded (Fig. 5 B). Most trunk appendages equipped with 3 types of setae: relatively long, finely plumose setae on lateral and/or medial margins of individual limb segments, and very short, but robust setae with either plumose (Fig. 5 x) or serrated (Fig. 5 y) margins on distal corners of limb segments.
TL 1 (Fig. 5 A): Endopod shorter than exopod. All segments of both exopod and endopod with long plumose setae on lateral margins, distal segments also with long setae on medial margins; all short setae on distal corners with serrated margins.
Larger trunk limbs (represented by TL 14) less setose than TL 1 (Fig. 5 B, x, y). Segment 1 of exopod with 4–7 lateral setae and 2 short serrated distolateral setae; segment 2 expanded, with 6–8 long lateral, 3 long medial setae, and 4–5 serrated distolateral setae; segment 3 broad, oval, with rows of long setae on inner and outer margins. Endopod approximately as long as exopod, but slenderer; segment 1 short, with 1 short, plumose lateral seta; segment 2 with 1–2 short plumose setae on distolateral corner and 1–2 short serrated setae on distomedial corner; lateral margin of segment 3 with 2–4 long setae and 1–2 short serrated setae on corner, medial corner with 3–4 short plumose setae; segment 4 narrow, lanceolate, with rows of long setae on margins.
Anal segment (Fig. 5 C, D): Slightly longer than wide. Caudal rami approximately as long as anal somite, with short lateral setules and several longer apical and subapical setae.
description: Published as part of Daenekas, Jana, Iliffe, Thomas M., Yager, Jill & Koenemann, Stefan, 2009, Speleonectes kakuki, a new species of Remipedia (Crustacea) from anchialine and sub-seafloor caves on Andros and Cat Island, Bahamas, pp. 51-66 in Zootaxa 2016 on pages 53-59, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.185962