Makarasphaera amnicosa Bruce 2005, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Bruce, Niel L.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2005
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Malacostraca
Isopoda
Sphaeromatidae
Makarasphaera
Makarasphaera amnicosa

description: <i>Makarasphaera amnicosa</i> sp. nov. (Figs 5–8) <i>Material examined</i>.— <b>Holotype</b>: ♂ (2.6 mm), western end of Ohariu Bay (= 'Makara Beach'), North Island, 41°13.125'S, 174°42.374'E, 2 January 2004, small, flowing, freshwater stream, ~15 metres from pebble beach berm, under rocks, coll. N.L., J. and S. Bruce (NIWA 4073). <b>Paratypes</b>: 4♂ (2.8 [dissected], 2.8 [maxillipeds], 2.6, 2.5 mm), 3♀ (non­ovig. 2.8, 2.7, 2.7 mm), manca (1.6 mm), same data as holotype (NIWA 4074). Additional material: 22 specimens, ♂, ♀♀ and mancas from type locality (NIWA 4075). 12 specimens, males, females, Cape Palliser, North Island, 41°36.406'S, 175°16.107'E, 23 Nov 2003, west of cape, freshwater seep above highest tide level, coll. N.L. Bruce and Jørgen Olesen (NIWA 4076). <i>Description of male</i>. <i>Body</i> about 1.7 times as long as greatest width, strongly vaulted, lateral margins subparallel, widest at pereonite 6; dorsal surfaces smooth. Cephalon anterior margin without distinct transverse ridge, ventral rostral process weakly developed. Head and pereonite 1 subequal in length, unornamented; pereonites 2–7 subequal in length (in lateral view); posterior margins of pereonites without transverse submarginal dorsal ridge. Coxae without evident sutures, progressively increasing in size posteriorly. <i>Pleon</i> sublateral 'keys' weakly developed. <i>Pleotelson</i> without ornamentation; posterior margin wide, subtruncate. <i>Antennule</i> peduncle article 1 2.0 times as long as wide, about 2.2 times as long as article 2; posterior margin of articles 1 and 2 with 1 and 2 brush­tipped sensory setae; article 3 about 1.4 times as long as article 2, 0.6 times as long as article 1, 3.1 times as long as wide; flagellum 6­articled, extending to posterior of pereonite 1, about 1.8 times as long article 3. <i>Antenna</i> peduncle article 1 short, about 0.2 times as long as article 2; articles 2–5 becoming progressively longer; article 4 about 1.9 times as long as article 3, about 0.7 as long as article 5; flagellum 1.1 times as long as peduncle, extending to pereonite 3, with 11 articles. <i>Epistome</i> anteriorly narrowly rounded, without lateral constriction. <i>Left mandible</i> incisor with 3 cusps, lacinia mobilis with 3 cusps, spine row of 4 serrate spines; molar process with gnathal surface circular, surface prominently nodular; palp articles 1 and 2 subequal in length, article 2 distolateral margin with 4 distally biserrate setae, becoming progressively longer distally; article 3 with 7 serrate setae, terminal seta being largest. <i>Maxillule</i> mesial lobe with 4 long, strongly pectinate RS and 1 shorter simple RS, lateral lobe with 9 peripheral RS on gnathal surface, twelfth seta set between these; 4 proximomesial RS serrate, distolateral RS smooth. <i>Maxilla</i> lateral lobe and middle lobe each with 7 curved finely nodular RS, mesial lobe with 9 plumose and CP RS. <i>Maxilliped</i> endite lateral margin sinuate, distal margin oblique, with 1 simple acute RS at sublateral angle, 2 blunt simple RS and 6 CP RS; single mesial CP RS distal to coupling hook; distal mesial surface of with mass of long scale­setae; palp articles 2–4 weakly lobed; articles 2–5 with 6, 12, 9 and 12 setae respectively. <i>Pereopod 1</i> robust, <i>basis</i> about 2.9 times as long as greatest width, approximately 1.7 times as long as propodus; <i>ischium</i> 1.1 times as long as propodus, 2.1 times as long as greatest width, superior margin with 1 proximal and one mid­distal acute short simple RS, distal inferior margin with sparse scale­setae; <i>merus</i> about 0.6 as long as ischium, 1.2 times as long as greatest width, superior distal angle with 1 acute simple RS, inferior margin with sparse scale­setae, inferior distal angle with 2 short and 1 long simple setae; <i>carpus</i> approximately as 0.8 long as wide, inferior margin 0.5 times as long as merus, inferior distal angle with 1 RS and 2 short simple setae; <i>propodus</i> 3.0 times as long as greatest width, inferior margin with simple setae and scales, inferodistal angle with 2 biserrate RS and 1 distally plumose seta; <i>dactylus</i> 0.4 times as long as propodus, unguis inferior margin with prominent serrate cuticular scales, secondary unguis straight, simple. Pereopods 2–7 elongate and slender in comparison to pereopod 1. <i>Pereopod 2 basis</i> 3.6 times as long as greatest width, inferodistal angle with single simple seta, superior margin with 3 widely spaced palmate setae; <i>ischium</i> 0.7 times as long as basis, 3.6 times as long as greatest width, proximal superior margin with 2 single acute RS, inferior distal margin with sparse short simple setae; <i>merus</i> 0.7 times as long as ischium, superior distal angle with 1 long distally biserrate RS and 1 short seta, inferior distal angle with 1 long simple setae; <i>carpus</i> 1.3 times as long as merus, 3.2 times as long as wide, anterodistal angle with 1 biserrate and 1 simple setae, inferior margin with prominent acute scales midlength; <i>propodus</i> 0.8 times as long as ischium, 5.5 times as long as wide, superior distal angle with 2 setae, inferior margin with serrate scales, with 2 simple setae. <i>Pereopods 5–7</i> similar, longer than pereopods 2 and 3. <i>Pereopod 7 basis</i> 5.0 times as long as greatest width, inferodistal angle with 1 simple setae, superior margin proximally with few serrate scales, with many widely­spaced small sensory palmate seta; <i>ischium</i> 0.7 times as long as basis, 3.6 times as long as greatest width, superior margin with abundant scale setae, with 1 short proximal acute RS, inferior distal angle with 1 seta; <i>merus</i> 0.6 times as long as ischium, 2.3 times as long as wide, superior distal margin with 1 distally biserrate and 1 short simple RS, inferior margin with 2 simple seta, inferodistal angle with l long simple seta; <i>carpus</i> as long as merus, 2.8 times as long as wide, superior distal angle with 3 biserrate and 1 simple RS, inferodistal margin with 1 biserrate and 1 plumose RS; <i>propodus</i> 0.7 times as long as ischium, 5.0 times as long as wide, superior distal angle with 2 setae, inferior margin distally with 2 simple RS. <i>Penial processes</i> separate, mutually adjacent, 8.6 as long as basal width, with acuminate apex. <i>Pleopod 1</i> exopod and endopod with 19 and 15 PMS respectively; endopod 0.8 as long as exopod, 1.5 times as long as greatest width, proximal lateral margin weakly convex; exopod with oblique axis, distal margin subtruncate; peduncle mesial margin extended, with 3 coupling hooks. <i>Pleopod 2</i> exopod and endopod with 21 and 13 PMS respectively; <i>appendix masculina</i> 4.5 times as long as basal width, 1.5 times as long as endopod, distal quarter abruptly narrowed, apex narrowly rounded; endopod mesial margin concave, lateral margin weakly convex; exopod 1.4 times as long as endopod, distal margin subtruncate. <i>Pleopod</i> 3 exopod and endopod with 20 and 11 PMS respectively. <i>Pleopod 4</i> both rami lacking any trace of ridges, without transverse suture; endopod 0.6 as long as exopod, with marginal fine simple setae and single distal plumose seta; exopod glabrous. <i>Pleopod 5</i> both rami lacking any trace of ridges, without transverse suture; exopod with 2 weakly developed scale patches, margin of both rami without setae. <i>Uropod</i> exopod 0.6 as long as endopod, margins smooth, with fringe of short setae scale­setae, distally narrowly rounded; endopod 3.2 times as long as wide, lateral margin convex, narrowing distally to acute apex, mesial margin weakly sinuate. <i>Female</i>: Body shape similar to that of male. Brood­pouch structure not known. <i>Remarks</i>. The species is distinguished by the generic characters. <i>Distribution</i>. Lower North Island, New Zealand, at Makara (near Wellington) and Cape Palliser on the southeastern coast. <i>Habitat</i>. The species is found in freshwater seeps and fast­flowing small streams above the reach of tidal influence, but within range of salt spray during storm periods. All specimens were under pebbles and stones, or under pieces of wood; usually in groups, occasionally singly. <i>Etymology</i>. The epithet is derived from the <i>amnicus</i> (Latin—'of a stream') alluding to the habitat at the type locality.
description: Published as part of <i>Bruce, Niel L., 2005, New sphaeromatids (Crustacea: Isopoda: Sphaeromatidea) from coastal and freshwater habitats in New Zealand, pp. 1-20 in Zootaxa 1002 (1002)</i> on pages 12-18