Potiicoara brasiliensis Pires 1987
Creators: name: Pires-Vanin, Ana Maria S.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2012
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Malacostraca
Spelaeogriphacea
Spelaeogriphidae
Potiicoara
Potiicoara brasiliensis

description: Potiicoara brasiliensis Pires, 1987   
 Potiicoara brasiliensis Pires, 1987: 226–231; Poore & Humphreys, 1998: 722; Moracchioli, 2002: 5.   
 Material examined. Type locality, Mato Grosso do Sul, Gruta do Lago Azul (19 km west of Bonito city, Brazil), 21°08’41”S, 56°35’27”W, water temperature 23.3°C, salinity 0.02, dissolved oxygen 3.00 mg/l, pH 7.63, stn. 02.ii.2000: 1 male (3.8 mm) (MZSP cat. no. 16384); stn. 03.viii.2000: 1 male (3.6 mm) (MZSP cat. no.16385); stn. 11–14.x.1999: 16 females, 4 juveniles (IOUSP cat. no. 336). — Resurgence of Rio Formoso, Bonito, 21°15’25”S, 56°38’12”W, water temperature 24.0°C, salinity 0.01, dissolved oxygen 4.46 mg /l, pH 7.62, stn. 31.i.2000: 1 male, 1 ovigerous female (IOUSP cat. no. 337). — Mato Grosso do Sul, Corumbá, Forte Coimbra, Ricardo Franco Cave, 19°55’14”S, 57°47’32”W, stn. iv.2000: 3 females (IOUSP cat. no. 338). — Mato Grosso, Serra das Araras, distrito de Bauxi, Curupira Cave, 15°09’15”S, 56°44’58”W, stn. 30.vi.2002: 2 females (IOUSP cat. no. 339). All specimens collected by N. Moracchioli.   
 Description (adult male). Body elongate, 3.6 to 3.8 mm, similar to female (see Pires 1987) in shape and proportions of segments (Fig. 1A). Carapace: pereon: pleon ratio 1:3:4 (measurements made along dorsal midline). Telson (Fig. 1B) distal margin straight nearly as long as lateral margin with two elongate setae at each corner, dorsal central protuberance not conspicuous only marked as wrinkles at dorsal surface.   
Antennula (Fig. 1C) with mesial margins of peduncular articles one and two covered by approximately ten and 40 short conical robust setae, respectively.  
Antenna (Fig. 1D) longer than in females, surpassing body length. Peduncle article four shortest, entire (Fig. 1D1), 1/10 length of article six, article six mesial margin distally enlarged with many short spines and row of setae on distal portion (Fig. 1D 2); exopod not surpassing distal margin of article five, fringed with 12 plumose setae.  
Mouthparts similar to those of females, as figured in the original description (Pires 1987: figs. 7–13).  
Pereopod I (Fig. 1E) similar to pereopods II and III. Endopod with minute scales on anterior margin of carpus and on both anterior and posterior margins of propodus (Fig. 1E1); unguis nearly 0.33 dactylus length with one short stout setae (Fig. 1E 2). Exopod with two articles, article two about 1/3 shorter than article one and bearing 8– 9 long plumose setae. Pereopods IV–VII similar to those of females. Penis short, about 2/3 pereonite length, almost as long as wide, apex round, separated, emerging from the sternum, placed between the midpoint and the base of pereopod VII.  
Pleopod 1 (Fig. 2A) with protopod large, 1.3 times longer than wide, about 0.9 of exopod length; two serrate coupling hooks plus elongate plumose setae at mesial distal margin (Fig. 2A 1); exopod and endopod sub-equal in length, exopod with proximal short lobe directed upwards having falcate and straight stout setae plus bifid elongate setae distally (Fig. 2A2); endopod with 14 plumose setae along margin. Pleopod 2 (Fig. 2B) protopod bearing elongate plumose setae at inner distal margin; exopod with two articles, first article short, nearly 1/3 length of article two, plumose setae laterally placed, article two with 18–20 plumose setae along margin; endopod nearly 1.3 times longer than exopod, curved outward, lateral margin deeply excavate in the middle, apex globose with distal thick dark brown semi-circular area. In smaller males (3.6 mm length), endopod slightly longer than exopod, completely translucent. Pleopod 3 (Fig. 2C) both rami sub- equal in length, exopod outer margin with four thick simple setae gradually lengthening distally, 16 plumose setae along margin; endopod as long as exopod, margin fringed with 10–12 plumose setae. Pleopod 4 (Fig. 2D) exopod proximal half of lateral margin having four simple setae, distal setae longest, followed by 16 marginal plumose setae; endopod about 1.4 times shorter than exopod having 14 plumose setae along margin. Pleopod 5 (Fig. 3A) slightly shorter than other pleopods; protopod with proximolateral long simple setae, mesial distal corner with plumose setae and two coupling hooks as in other pleopods; exopod nearly twice endopod length, lateral margin bearing five setae followed by 16 marginal plumose setae; endopod with 12 marginal setae.  
Uropod (Fig. 3B) protopod nearly 1/5 length of endopod having distal setae on lateral margin and minute lobe with 2–3 apical setae at inner distal margin (Fig. 3B 1); endopod biarticulate, basal article bearing two setae on lateral margin, one at first half and the other placed distally, apical article length nearly twice basal article length, fringed with 40 plumose setae; exopod shorter than endopod first article, having 18 marginal plumose setae.  
 Sexual dimorphism Dimorphic characters in males are: spiny areas on articles of antennula and antenna; antenna with apex of article six enlarged; pleopod 1 with a short lobe on exopod; pleopod 2 with endopod long, curved, entire; a pair of short and robust penis; dorsal surface of telson with an inconspicuous protuberance not projecting beyond apical margin.   
 Juveniles of Potiicoara brasiliensis are similar to adult females except for the smooth dorsal surface of the telson. Three ovigerous females were found with 7–12 large eggs in the marsupium.
description: Published as part of Pires-Vanin, Ana Maria S., 2012, The discovery of male Potiicoara brasiliensis (Crustacea, Spelaeogriphacea) with notes on biology and distribution, pp. 61-68 in Zootaxa 3421 (1) on pages 62-66, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3421.1.3, http://zenodo.org/record/5254457