Notopterophoroides armadillo , Schellenberg 1922
Creators: name: Kim, Il-Hoi
name: Boxshall, Geoff A.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2020
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Copepoda
Cyclopoida
Notodelphyidae
Notopterophoroides
Notopterophoroides armadillo

description: Notopterophoroides armadillo Schellenberg, 1922
(Figs. 111–113)
Material examined. 5 ♀♀, 2 ♂♂ (MNHN-IU-2018- 1834) and dissected 1 ♀, 1 ♂ (figured) from Phallusia philippinensis Millar, 1975, Caminguin Is., Philippines, CRCHO 171; 1 ♀ (dissected) from Ascidia archaia Sluiter, 1890, Île Nou, New Caledonia, 27 August 1985.
Supplementary description of female. Body (Fig. 111A) stout, semilunar in lateral view, with smooth, moderately flexible exoskeleton. Body length 1.86 mm; prosome 1.37 mmlong, strongly compressed, consisting of cephalothoraxand 3 pedigeroussomites (second to fourth). Greatest dorsoventral depth of prosome 655 μm across third pedigerous somite. Highly sclerotized “sternal spikes” present posteriorly on ventral surface of cephalothorax, and ventrally on second and third pedigeroussomites (Fig. 112D), each spike lying posterior to intercoxal sclerite, smaller in first pedigerous somite (Fig. 112E), distinctly larger in second and third (Fig. 112F); all sternal spikes with broad base (or pedestal). Fourthpedigerous somite forming brood pouch tapering posteriorly to obtusely angled apex; both third and fourth pedigeroussomites containing eggs. Fifth pedigerous somite completely fused to fourth. Free urosome (Fig. 111B) cylindrical, 5-segmented, graduallynarrowing posteriorly; all urosomites wider than long. Genital somite 95×236 μm, ornamented with 2 transverse rows of minute spinules on distal border of ventral surface. Four abdominal somites 179×202, 123×170, 90×140, and 57×110 μm, respectively. Anal somite produced ventrally and sclerotized, without ornamentation. Caudalramus (Fig. 111C) 73×45 μm, bluntly produced posteroventrally, ornamented with several patches of small spinules; armed with 3 spiniform claws and 3 naked setae; lengths of 3 claws 52, 44, and 32 μm, ventral subdistal claw shortest.
Rostrum (Fig. 111D) as semicircular ventral process at frontal margin of dorsal cephalothoracic shield. Antennule (Fig. 111E) about 190 μmlong, 7-segmented; armatureformula 7, 11, 10+aesthetasc, 5, 2+aesthetasc, 3+aesthetasc, and 7+aesthetasc; first 2 setaeonfirst segmentlargeand pinnate; 2 pinnatesetaeonthirdsegment and 1 on fourth; 1 seta on second segment spiniform. Antenna (Fig. 111F) slender, 4-segmented; coxashortand unarmed; basis narrowed in middle, about twiceas long as wide, armed with 1 large pinnate (exopodal) seta at outer distal corner; ornamented with 2 patches of spinules and 2 patches of slender setules; first endopodal segment about 1.5 timeslongerthan wide, with 1 smallseta subdistally; compound distal endopodal segment slender, about 5 times longer than wide (105×21 μm), and ornamented with fine spinules distally on both margins; armed with 9 setae (3 distal setae blunt) plus small terminal claw, about one-thirdaslongas segment.
Labrum (Fig. 111G) withsemicircularposteromedian lobe and minute setules on posteroventral region and lobe. Mandible (Fig.111H) with 5 teethand 1 smallproximalseta on coxal gnathobase (Fig. 111I) with 2 needle-like spinules present between distal second and third teeth: basis hirsute on dorsal and outer surfaces and armed with small seta onmedial margin; exopod 2-segmented, armedwith 3 and 2 setae on first and second segments, respectively, outer distal seta on second segment about half as long as other 4 setae; first exopodal segment with dense setules on medial margin: endopod indistinctly 2-segmented and armed with 4 and 9 setae on first and second segments, respectively. Maxillule (Fig. 112A) with 9 setaeon arthrite, 1 broad seta on coxal endite, 2 unequal setae on epipodite, 3 setae on medial margin of basis, 3 setae on exopod, and 4 on endopod; endopod distally subdivided by indistinct suture line into proximal and short distal regions bearing 1 and 3 setae, respectively. Maxilla (Fig. 112B) 5-segmented; syncoxa with 9 setae (3, 1, 2, and 3 on first to fourth endites); basiswith 3 setae; endopodwith 1, 1, and 3 setae on first to third segments, respectively. Maxilliped (Fig. 112C) clearly 2-segmented; first segment with 9 setae (4 proximal and 5 distal) on medial margin and several rows of minute spinules; small second segment with 2 setae apically and row of setules on medial margin.
Leg 1 (Fig. 112E) with 3-segmented exopod and 2- segmented endopod. Legs 2–4 with 3-segmented rami (Figs. 112F, 113A). Left and right members of legs 1–4 close to each other, with very narrow intercoxal plate (Fig. 112D). Coxa of legs 1–4 unarmed. Coxa of legs 2–4 setulose on ventral surface. Basis broad in leg 1, narrower inlegs 2–4. Outersetaon basis of legs 1–4 large, extending to middle of third exopodal segment. Inner distal spine on basis of leg 1 longerthan first endopodal segment, 32 μm long. First outer element of third exopodal segment of leg 1 represented by seta (arrow in Fig. 112E). Spines and setae on exopods not clearly differentiated in legs 2–4. Armature formula for legs 1–4 as follows:
Leg 5 (Fig. 113B) consistingof protopodalplate and free exopod; protopodal plate quadrate and formed by fusion of left and right potopods (Fig. 111B), bearing 1 plumose seta at each outer distal corner and several transverse rows of fine spinules on both sides of ventral surface; exopodal segment small, 61×23 μm, tapering, slightly constricted in middle; apically tipped with 1 seta and ornamented with 2 rows of spinules on inner surface.
Supplementary description of male. Body (Fig. 113C) narrow, 1.13 mm long. Prosome consisting of cephalothoraxand3pedigeroussomiteswithalmostparallel dorsal and ventral margins. Fourth pedigerous somite tapering in distal half. Cephalothorax and metasomites lacking sternal spike. Urosome (Fig. 113D) 6-segmented, with free fifthpedigerous somite measuring 45×138 μm. Genitalsomite 65×132 μm, slightlynarrowing distally. Four abdominal somites 102×120, 93×100, 64×78, and 29×70 μm, respectively: first & second abdominal somites ornamented with numerous minute spinules on ventral surface. Caudalramus 40×28 μm. Spermatophore (Fig. 113C) sausage-shaped, 160×42 μm.
Rostrum (Fig. 113E) similartothatof female. Antennule as in female. Antenna (Fig. 113F) stout; basis unornamented; second endopodal segment about 2.9 times longer than wide (55×19 μm), much shorter than that of female.
Labrum, mandible, maxillule, and maxilla as in female. Maxilliped (Fig. 113G) with 7 or 8 setae (3 proximal and 4 or 5 distal) on first segment and 2 setae on distal segment.
Legs 1–4 armed as in female; including setiform proximal outer element on third exopodal segment of leg 1.
Left and right protopods of fifth legs separated (Fig. 113D), short and armed with 1 outer distal seta; free exopod similar to that of female (Fig. 113H), 33×15 μm. Leg 6 (Fig. 113H) represented by 3 setae on genital operculum, 2 outer ones subeuqal and pinnate, and inner one small and naked.
Remarks. Only two species are currently included in Notopterophoroides: N. armadillo and N. malacodermatus. In the original report of N. armadillo, Schellenberg (1922) illustrated only the female body form, the exopod of leg 3, and leg 5 of this species, all of which agree well with those of our specimens. The body length, the sizes of the sternal spikes (referred to as “Sternaldorn” by Schellenberg) and other important features are also the same. However, N. armadillo is described as having thick, armored body cuticle ornamented with numerous porelike pits and we were unable to confirm this distinctive feature in our material. Interestingly, we found the same kind of cuticle present in N. baliense sp. nov. (described below). Nevertheless, the specimens are identified as N. armadillo, on the assumption that the thickness and sculpture of the cuticle of this species may change with age.
description: Published as part of Kim, Il-Hoi & Boxshall, Geoff A., 2020, Untold diversity: the astonishing species richness of the Notodelphyidae (Copepoda: Cyclopoida), a family of symbiotic copepods associated with ascidians (Tunicata), pp. 1-6 in Megataxa 4 (1) on pages 171-175, DOI: 10.11646/megataxa.4.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/4591138