Niphargus urmiensis Mamaghani-Shishvan & Esmaeili-Rineh, 2019, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Mamaghani-Shishvan, Mahmoud
name: Esmaeili-Rineh, Somayeh
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2019
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Malacostraca
Amphipoda
Niphargidae
Niphargus
Niphargus urmiensis

description: Niphargus urmiensis sp. nov.
urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: 7C655030-3855-4B46-85D1-76DB596428AA
Figs 1, 3–6
Diagnosis (based on male only)
The palpus of maxilla I is short and does not reach the tip of the outer lobe. The size of coxae in gnathopods I and II is sub-similar. Gnathopods bear trapezoidal to rectangular shape of propodi. Gnathopds I to II dactyli have a single seta on the outer margin. Dorso-laterally, the urosomites I to II bear one and two setae, respectively. The inner ramus in uropod I is longer than the outer ramus. Epimeral plates I–II are partly angular but not produced. Lobes of telson have three distal spines each and no lateral spines. The telson cleft is more than half its length.
Etymology
The name ‘urmiensis’ refers to Urmia City, the center of West Azerbaijan province (Iran), where the species was found.
Material examined
Holotype
IRAN • ♂; West Azerbaijan Province, Oshnavieh City, Randole Spring; 37°03′25″ N, 45°02′48″ E; 10 Jul. 2016; M. Mamaghani-Shishvan leg.; ZCRU Amph. 1071.
Paratypes
IRAN • 1 ♂, 1 juv. (body length 6.8 and 3.8 mm, respectively); same data as for holotype; ZCRU Amph.1071.
Description of holotype
MEASUREMENTS. The total length of the holotype is 8 mm. Head represents 17% of the total body length (Fig. 3C).
ANTENNAE. Antenna I (Fig. 3A) is 0.51 times body length. Peduncular articles 1–3 progressively shorter; length of peduncular article 3 exceeds half of peduncular article 2 (ratio 1.00:1.80). Main flagellum with 18 articles (most with short setae), articles with up to one aesthetasc. Accessory flagellum bi-articulated and reaching ¼ of article 4 of main flagellum; both articles with two and one setae, respectively. Antenna II with flagellum formed of seven articles, approximately half as long as antenna I. Flagellum length is 0.79 times length of peduncle articles 4 +5. Peduncular article 4 of antenna II is longer than article 5 (1.3: 1.00), peduncle articles 4 and 5 with seven and five groups of setae, respectively (Fig. 3B).
MOUTH PARTS. Labium (Fig. 4C) bi-lobate; with fine setae on tip of outer lobes. Inner plate of maxilla I with two long apical setae, outer plate with seven long spines with 0-3-1-3-0-0-2 lateral projections; palp bi-articulated, short and not reaching tip of outer lobe, with seven apical setae (Fig. 3 D–E). Both plates of maxilla II with numerous long distal and lateral setae (Fig. 4E). Mandible: right mandible with four teeth on incisor process, lacinia mobilis pluritoothed and row of seven setae with lateral projections (Fig. 3F). Left mandible with five teeth on incisor process, lacinia mobilis with four teeth and row of eight setae with lateral projections (Fig. 3G). Mandibular palp articles 1:2:3 represent 20%, 31% and 49% of total palp length, respectively. Proximal article without setae; second article with four setae along inner margin and third article with one group of two A-setae, one group of B-setae, no C-setae, 12 D-setae and four E-setae (Fig. 3H). Maxilliped with short inner plate bearing four distal spines intermixed with five distal setae and one long lateral seta sub-distally; outer plate exceeding half of palp article 2, with eight spines along inner margin and three setae distally; maxilliped palp article 3 at outer margin with one proximal and one distal group of long setae; palp terminal article with three groups of setae at outer margin and one seta at base of nail, nail shorter than pedestal (Fig. 4D).
GNATHOPODS. Coxal plates of gnathopods I–II almost equal in size. Coxa of gnathopod I rectangular, longer than broad, anterior and ventral margins with five marginal setae. Basis with setae on anterior and posterior margins; ischium and merus with posterior group of setae. Carpus with one group of three setae antero-distally, bulge with long setae; carpus 0.55 times basis length and 0.87 times propodus length. Propodus of gnathopod I trapezoid shape and broader than long; anterior margin with four setae in one group in addition to antero-distal group of four setae. Palm convex, defined on outer surface by one strong long corner S-seta accompanied laterally by one L-seta with lateral projections and row of three facial M-setae, on inner surface by one short sub-corner R-seta. Dactylus reaching posterior margin of propodus, outer and inner margins of dactylus with one and four setae, respectively. Nail length 0.35 times total dactylus length (Fig. 4A). Coxal plate of gnathopod II with rectangular shape, longer than broad, anterior and ventral margins with seven setae. Basis with setae on anterior and posterior margins; ischium and merus with posterior group of setae. Carpus with one group of three setae antero-distally, bulge with long setae; carpus 0.69 times basis length and 0.85 times propodus length. Propodus longer than broad; anterior margin with two setae in one group in addition to antero-distal group of five setae. Palm slightly convex, defined on outer surface by one strong, long corner S-seta accompanied laterally by one L-seta with lateral projections and row of three facial M-setae, on inner surface by one short subcorner R-seta. Dactylus reaching posterior margin of propodus, outer and inner dactylar margins with one and three setae, respectively; nail short, 0.28 times total dactylus length (Fig. 4B). Coxal plate III rectangular, length to width ratio is 1.08: 1; antero-ventro-posterior margin with six setae. Coxal plate IV rectangular, antero-ventral margin with four setae, posterior concavity shallow and approximately 0.1 times coxa width (Fig. 5 A–B). Coxal plate V with five and one setae on anterior and posterior lobes, respectively. Coxal plate VI with one simple seta on posterior lobe. Coxal plate VII with one simple seta (Fig. 5 C–E).
PEREOPODS. Pereopod III:IV length ratio is 1.05: 1 (Fig. 5 A–B). Dactylus IV short, dactylus length 0.54 times propodus length, nail shorter than pedestal (Fig. 5B). Pereopods V:VI:VII length ratios 1: 1.17: 1.22, respectively. Pereopod VII is 0.53 times total body length. Pereopod bases V–VI each with six groups of spines along anterior margins and with eight and seven setae along posterior margins, respectively. Pereopod basis VII with six groups of spines along anterior margin and seven setae along posterior margin, respectively (Fig. 5 C–E). Postero-ventral lobe of ischium in pereopods V–VII developed. Ischium, merus and carpus in pereopods V–VII with several groups of spines and 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 and one short seta at base of nail on inner margin, nail length of pereopod VII 0.3 times total dactylus length (Fig. 5 C–E).
EPIMERAL PLATES I–III (Fig. 6G). With angular postero-ventral corner, postero-ventral corners of plates I–III posteriorly with two, three and three spines and setae, respectively. Epimeral plates II–III with one and two spines along of ventral margins, respectively.
PLEOPODS. Peduncle of pleopods I–III with two-hooked retinacles at distal part of inner margins. Peduncle of pleopod I with one seta along of outer margin. Peduncle of pleopod III with two setae along of inner margin (Fig. 6 A–C); rami of pleopods I–III each with five to eight articles (Fig. 6 A–C).
PEREONITES. Pereonites I–VII without setae. Pleonites I–III each with one seta in middle of article on dorsal margin. Urosomites I–II with one and two setae on dorso-lateral margin, respectively. Urosomite III without setae. Urosomite I with one spine at base of uropod I.
UROPODS. Peduncle of uropod I with six and four large spines along dorso-lateral and dorso-medial margins, respectively. Outer ramus of uropod I slightly shorter than inner ramus (ratio 1: 1.06); inner ramus with one group of two spines laterally and four spines distally; outer ramus with two groups of two spines laterally and five spines distally (Fig. 6D). Inner ramus in uropod II longer than outer, both rami with lateral and distal long spines (Fig. 6E). Uropod III long, almost 0.42 times body length. Peduncle of uropod III with three spines, outer ramus bi-articulated, distal article 0.26 times proximal article. Proximal article of outer ramus bearing each six groups of spines along inner and outer margins (Fig. 6F); distal article with setae laterally and four setae distally. Inner ramus short, with one distal spine and one lateral seta. Telson longer than broad, lobes slightly narrowing; each lobe with three spines and one seta distally, with two plumose setae laterally (Fig. 6H).
Female
Unknown.
Remarks
Niphargus urmiensis sp. nov. is characterized by two traits. The first one is the presence of one spine with lateral projections on the outer surface of the palmar corner in gnathopods I–II propodi. This character has been reported in N. bisitunicus Esmaeili-Rineh, Sari & Fišer, 2015 and N. fiseri sp. nov., however, both latter species bear the lateral spines in each telson lobe. Also, the maxillar palpus in N. urmiensis sp. nov. is short and not reaching the tip of the outer lobe of maxilla I, this character is rare among niphargids, but it has been reported in N. kermanshahi Esmaeili-Rineh, Heidari, Fišer & Akmali, 2016, N. sohrevardensis Esmaeili-Rineh, Sari, Fišer & Bargrizaneh, 2017, N. borisi Esmaeili-Rineh, Sari & Fišer, 2015 and N. ilamensis Esmaeili-Rineh, Sari, Fišer & Bargrizaneh, 2017 from Iran and N. auerbachi Schellenberg, 1934 from Switzerland. Niphargus urmiensis sp. nov., however, differs in the lower numbers of spines on the outer surface of the palmar corner of gnathopods I–II.
description: Published as part of Mamaghani-Shishvan, Mahmoud & Esmaeili-Rineh, Somayeh, 2019, Two new species of groundwater amphipods of the genus Niphargus Schiödte, 1849 from northwestern Iran, pp. 1-23 in European Journal of Taxonomy 546 on pages 7-13, DOI: 10.5852/ejt.2019.546, http://zenodo.org/record/3382758