New Deep‐sea Leptognathiid Tanaids (Crustacea, Tanaidacea) from the North‐east Atlantic

Abstract

Three new genera (Araphura, Leptognathioides and Stenotanais) and six new species of tanaid crustaceans from below 1000 m depth in the north‐east Atlantic are described. Two of the new species belong to the genus Leptognathiella Hansen, 1913, which is redescribed and removed from synonymy with Leptognathia Sars, 1882 (sensu Lang 1968). These species are relatively common in the tanaid material examined and have a widespread distribution in the area under study, i.e. the Rockall Trough, Porcupine Seabight and Bay of Biscay. All six species are found at depths between 2070 and 2892 m. A further nine species previously belonging to the genus Leptognathia are removed to the new genera or to Leptognathiella. New records of Leptognathioides polita (Hansen, 1913) comb.n. and Leptognathiella abyssi (Hansen, 1913) have been obtained.

Seasonal reproduction in deep-sea Crustacea (Isopoda: Asellota)

“…Table 2 gives a list of collecting sites and material. Maps of the sampled area can be found in Gage (1979), Gage et al (1980, Bird and Holdich (1984) or Pain (1985). Samples were collected with an epibenthic sled (ES) (Hessler and Sanders, 1967) or a modified 0.25 m 2 United States Navy Electronics Laboratory Spade Box Corer (SBC) (Hessler and Jumars, 1974;Gage, 1977) and were elutriated (Sanders et al, 1965) on board ship.…”

Oahutanais makalii , a new genus and species of colletteid tanaidacean (Crustacea, Peracarida) from shelf-waters off Hawaii, with a taxonomic key

“…The females of Oahutanais gen. n. can be identified by having a small body (less than 1 mm in length of reproductively active specimens), cheliped attached just anterior to the posterior margin of the cephalothorax, very close to the midventral line, not in contact with carapace lateral margin, and pereopods 1 to 6 attached ventrally. Oahutanais gen. n. appears to be most closely related to the genera, Leptognathiella Bird and Holdich, 1984 from the Atlantic or Gulf of México (Larsen 2005;Larsen et al 2006), Leptognathiopsis Holdich & Bird, 1986 from the North Atlantic (Holdich and Bird 1986), and several species of Leptognathia G.O. Sars, 1882 sensu stricto (see Larsen and Shimomura 2007: 12) in having pereonites wider than long, pointed molars, females without pleopods (only in some species of Leptognathiella and Leptognathia), and uropod structure.…”

The tubicolous habit amongst the Tanaidacea (Crustacea, Peracarida) with particular reference to deep‐sea species

“…The majority of works pertaining to tanaids are of a taxonomic nature (e.g. Gardiner 197%;Sieg 19836, c;Bird & Holdich 1984;Holdich & Bird 1986), only a few studies containing ecological material having been published (e.g . Forsman 1956;Buckle Ramirez 1965;Greve 1965Greve , 1967Salvat 1967;Gardiner 19756 ;Marchand 1977;Messing 1979Messing ,1983; Johnson & Attramadal 1 9 8 2~; Mendoza 1982;Holdich & Jones 19826;Borrowsky 1983;Reidenauer &Thistle 1985;Thistle et al 1985;Holdich & Bird 1986).…”

“…Studies on the deep-sea tanaid fauna are revealing a wealth of new species (e.g. Bird & Holdich 1984;, the majority of which have yet to be named. Consequently, in this paper many of the new Typhlotanais species can only be referred to by a number.…”