A revision of Metapontius (Siphonostomatoida: Artotrogidae) with the description of a new species associated with an octocoral from Eniwetok Atoll, Marshall Islands (USA)
Author
Johnsson, Rodrigo
Author
Neves, Elizabeth G.
text
Zootaxa
2005
1035
51
59
journal article
10.5281/zenodo.169725
45da2e12-eb46-4cde-9be1-0dcb1fb73f86
11755326
169725
ARTOTROGIDAE Brady, 1880
Within the
Artotrogidae
there are presently 21 genera (
Boxshall & Halsey 2004
), which can be grouped according to characters related to the fourth leg. Among the variable states, it is possible to observe the reduction of the leg to a protopod bearing 1 or 2 setae, as seen in
Pseudotrogus
(Johnsson & Rocha 2002)
. Other conditions found are: the total absence of the endopod, as observed in
Pteropontius
,
Cryptopontius
,
Dyspontius
,
Pulicitrogus
and
Ascidiopontius;
or the absence of the whole leg, as in
Artotrogus, Glyptotrogus, Tardotrogus
and
Sewellopontius
. An uncommon, intermediary state is the endopodal ramus bearing two segments, found only in
Arctopontius
and
Metapontius
. All remaining genera of the family have P4 unmodified, with both rami present, and 3segmented.Therefore
Artopontius
and
Metapontius
, among all other
Artotrogidae
genera, are probably very closely related. However, it is possible to distinguish these two genera based on the following characteristics. In
Arctopontius
, the pedigerous somite 4 is projected backwards as in the previous segment, reaching the midregion of the genital doublesomite. In
Metapontius
, pedigerous somite 4 is slightly rounded posteriorly, hardly reaching the lateral margin of the following pedigerous somite. Both genera also differ in the proportions of both lobes of the maxillule. In
Arctopontius
, the inner lobe is twice as long as the outer lobe while in
Metapontius
, the outer lobe is almost as long as the inner one.