Thermoarcturidae, a new crustacean family of three genera (Isopoda: Valvifera)
Author
Poore, Gary C. B.
text
Zootaxa
2015
4007
3
409
418
journal article
10.11646/zootaxa.4007.3.7
3685e984-0201-458c-9d09-08dc7b13aeb2
1175-5326
245508
3D2D89A3-2E1D-4449-A418-6F86DDB5C6A1
Spinarcturus
Kensley, 1978
Spinarcturus
Kensley, 1978a
: 135
.
Type
species
.
Spinarcturus natalensis
Kensley, 1978
, by original designation and monotypy.
Diagnosis
. Pereonites 2–4 with prominent sublateral and lateral spines; pereonites 5–7 with prominent lateral spines; pleonite 3 with pair of acute sublateral spines, longer and stouter than other spines; pleotelson unarmed. Eyes present.
Male
pleopod 1 exopod with area of fine setae about one third along, groove weakly defined. Oostegites 5 apparent as pair of small flaps on anterior margin of pereonite 5.
Remarks
. The genus, represented by one species, is included in the new family largely because of the absence of ‘filter setae’, the covering of setules and the short uropodal rami. It differs from the other two in not having an obvious groove on the posterior face of the male pleopod 1 but instead a broad proximal depression filled with fine setae. This resembles the structure seen in species of
Arcturus
(family
Arcturidae
), e.g.,
A. baffini
(Sabine, 1824)
(see
Kussakin 1982
: fig. 238) but these have rows of numerous ‘filter setae’ on pereopods 2–4.
Kensley (1978a)
characterised the genus having pereonite 1 not fused with the head. While a clear furrow is visible dorsally there is not articulation as is typical of all arcturoid valviferans. He noted the difficulty of placing the
type
species and compared it with several genera now included in
Arcturidae
,
Antarcturidae
and
Holidoteidae
before erecting a new genus.