Extraordinary morphological changes in valve morphology during the ontogeny of several species of the Australian ostracod genus Bennelongia (Crustacea, Ostracoda) Author Deckker, Patrick De Author Martens, Koen 9272757B-A9E5-4C94-B28D-F5EFF32AADC7 urn: lsid: zoobank. org: author: 9272757 B-A 9 E 5 - 4 C 94 - B 28 D-F 5 EFF 32 AADC 7 & Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Vautierstraat 29, B- 1000 Brussels, Belgium. & University of Ghent, Department of Biology, K. L. Ledeganckstraat 35, B- 9000 Gent, Belgium. text European Journal of Taxonomy 2013 2013-01-31 36 1 37 journal article 22336 10.5852/ejt.2013.36 13fb5aaa-91be-4204-90f0-93a492637789 2118-9773 3806624 B54F52A3-823F-49ED-978C-FDF1AEE3D201 Bennelongia sp. 414 nov. sp. Figs 11-12 This species is in stark contrast with B. cf. nimala nov. sp.. First of all, it belongs to the lineage of Bennelongia which is most distant to the other taxa examined in this paper.Also, its general appearance is clearly different from any of the other Bennelongia species thus far described ( De Deckker & McKenzie 1981 ; De Deckker 1981c , 1982 ; Martens et al . 2012 ; Shearn et al . 2012 ): it is triangular in lateral view and the ventrum is flat and broad ( Fig. 11 ); the antero-ventral beak-like feature in adult LV is absent ( Fig. 10 ) and the instars, at first glance, appear smooth on the outer surface of the valves ( Fig. 11 ). Close examination of the instars’ valve morphology identifies that the ‘domes’ are definitely present in A-4 to A-1 stages, but are again more obvious in the youngest instar stages ( Figs 11-12 ). The dome that was so prominent in B. cf. nimala nov. sp. is a much smaller feature in B. spec. 414 nov. sp.. Instead, the posterior dome is the largest of the two and is also reticulated. We assume that the 2 domes occur in the same position as in B. cf. nimala nov. sp. , and are thus homologous, as the depression seen in the former species is also seen behind what we label as the posterior dome ( Fig. 11 , middle right panel in A-4, Fig. 12 middle panels) of B. sp. 414 nov. sp. In inner view, the inner lamella is surprisingly broad and well calcified in the A-1 instars. In addition, it has an inner list that is prominent along the entire periphery of the inner lamella, a feature that is prevalent in all Bennnelongia A-1 instars examined here (see also below). This feature is in other cypridid ostracods only present in adult specimens. Finally, juvenile specimens differ from B. cf. nimala nov. sp. juveniles as some cones with outer lips appear to be present ( Figs 11-12 ), but are almost atrophied, and could easily be confused with normal pores with setae.