Novocriniidae, a New Family of Harpacticoid Copepods from Anchihaline Caves in Belize
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Zoologica Scripta, Vol. 27, No. 1, pp, 1-15, 1998 Pergamon Elsevier Science Ltd 0 1998 The Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters All rights reserved. Printed in Great Britain PII: 503W3256(97)00018-4 030&3256/98 $19.00 + 0.00 Novocriniidae, a new family of harpacticoid copepods from anchihaline caves in Belize RONY HUYS and THOMAS M. ILIFFE Accepted 7 August 1997 Huys, R. & Iliffe, T. M. 1998. Novocriniidae, a new family of harpacticoid copepods from anchihaline caves in Belize.-Zool. Scr. 27: 1-15. A new family of fusiform, semi-planktonic harpacticoid copepods is described from two anchihaline caves, Caye Chapel Cave and Columbus Caye Blue Hole, on the Belize Barrier Reef. The Novocriniidae fam. n. is proposed to accommodate Novocrinia trifida gen. et sp. n. and is placed in the tisbidimorph complex of families (Tisboidea) by virtue of its maxilliped morphology. The new genus shares several characters with other tisbidimorph families but cannot be placed in any of them without an unnatural extension of their diagnoses. The Novocriniidae display a suite of plesiomorphic character states in most appendages from the antennules to the PS, indicating their basal position on the tisbidimorph phylogenetic tree. They exhibit a unique sexually dimorphic modification of the antennae, involving the transformation of two setal elements into filamentous sensory tufts. The unusual presence of supernumerary elements on the male PS baseoendopod is briefly discussed as well as the presence of a genuine but incipient oral cone derived from the labrum and medially fused paragnaths. 0 1998 The Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters Zoology Department, The Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London S W7 SBD, U.K. Department of Marine Biology, Texas A & M University at Galveston, Galveston, Texas 77553. USA. Introduction The Giant Cave at Caye Caulker is one of the world’s largest submarine caves. Although exploration of this cave Harpacticoid copepods are an important constituent of the is still ongoing, over 3 km have thus far been surveyed. marine fauna inhabiting anchihaline caves and submerged Giant Cave is the type locality of the ridgewayiid calanoid lava tubes. Recent exploration of these unusual habitats Brattstromia longicaudata Fosshagen, which is probably has resulted in the discovery of two highly distinctive the most abundant copepod inhabiting the Belize Caves families of harpacticoids (Huys, 1988a, 1996). The (Fosshagen & Iliffe 1991). Examination of a number of Rotundiclipeidae is a monotypic family described from samples from three different caves on the Belize Barrier Cueva del Agua, a shallow cave on Tenerife, Canary Reef resulted in the discovery of two new species of Islands (Huys 1988~).The Superornatiremidae comprises Superornatiremidae and an as yet unknown family of three genera Superornatiremis Huys, Neoechinophora harpacticoids with tisbidimorph affinities described herein. Huys and Zntercrusia Huys, all described from North The Superornatiremidae will be dealt with in a separate Atlantic caves on Bermuda and the Canary Islands (Huys paper (Huys & Iliffe, in prep.). 1996). The recent discovery of these genera in the Balearic Islands (Jaume, 1997) provides evidence that the family assumes an Amphi-Atlantic/Mediterranean distribution Material and methods pattern. Other records of harpacticoid copepods in anchihaline caves are listed by Huys (1996). Specimens were dissected in lactic acid and the dissected parts were placed The Belize Barrier Reef is the largest reef system in the in lactophenol mounting medium. Preparations were sealed with glyceel (Gum@, BUH,Poole, UK). All drawings were prepared with a camera Western Hemisphere and second only to ‘the Great Barrier lucida on a Zeiss Axioskop differential interference contrast microscope. Reef of Australia. It conists of a rimmed shelf with a series The descriptive terminology is adopted from Huys & Boxshall (1991). of barrier reefs fronting a 2040 km wide lagoon. An The term ‘acrothek’is introduced for the trifid setal structure found on the apical margin of the distal antennulary segment. Abbreviations used in almost continuous line of low sand islands, called ‘cayes’, the text are: ae, aesthetasc; Pl-P6, first to sixth thoracopod; exp(enp)-l(2, extends along almost the entire length (250km) of the 3) to denote the proximal (middle, distal) segment of a ramus. The type barrier reef. Numerous, now submerged, karst features of series is deposited in the collections of the Zoology Department, The impressive size are present, both immediately behind the Natural History Museum, London. barrier reef and on the offshore atolls. The most famous of these is the Lighthouse Reef Blue Hole, a submarine Description of caves sinkhole explored by Jacques Cousteau using a submer- sible and found to be over 100 m deep (Cousteau 1973). Caye Chapel Cave is located 0.5 km east (seaward) of the 1 Zoologica Scripta 27 2 R. Huys and T. M. Ilijf,fe northern tip of Caye Chapel. The entrance consists of 8; 2 segments distal to geniculation), with aesthetasc on two vertical shafts located about 15 m apart on a segments 2, 3, 5 and acrothek on segment 9; acrothek seagrass bed in 3m depth. At a depth of 8m in the consisting of aesthetasc and 1 seta; homology of male cave, the two entrance shafts join in a low room from antennulary segmentation: I, 11-VIII, IX-XII, XIII, where a sandy restriction under a ledge leads to a large XIV-XVII, XVIII, XIX-xx, XXI-XXIII, XXIV- descending rift, well decorated with stalactites and XXVIII. Antenna with unisetose basis; exopod 4- floored with white sandy sediments. At 35m depth, the segmented with formula [ 1, 1 ,1,3]; enp-1 with abexopodal rift levels off and begins to ascend to a point at which the seta; enp-2 with 2 setae + setoid tuft laterally, and distal cave ends in collapse 150 m from the entrance. The water armature consisting of 6 (4 geniculate) setae (in 9) or 5 (3 is clear with visibility about 20-30 m. The deeper waters geniculate) setae + setoid tuft (in 3). Labrum strongly of the cave appear relatively more sterile in comparison developed triangular lobe, partly fused to labium with regions closer to the entrance where encrusting (derived by median fusion of paragnaths) forming sponges, orange mysids, and red shrimps are conspic- distinct oral cone. Mandible with elongate gnathobase; uous. Representatives of the primitive calanoid genera biramous palp consisting of bisetose basis, 2-segmented Ridgewayia Thompson & A. Scott, Enantiosis Barr, and endopod with formula [ 1,4] and 4-segmented exopod Pseudocyclops Brady have been recorded from this cave with formula [1,1,1,2]. Maxillule with elongate arthrite (1 (Fosshagen, pers. comm.). element spiniform); coxal endite with 6 elements; exopod Columbus Caye Blue Hole is located about 2km cylindrical with 2 setae; endopod membranous, largely northwest of Columbus Caye and 3 km from the outer incorporated in basis, with 4 setae; basis bearing 2 edge of the barrier reef. The entrance is a lOm long by distinct endites with 3 and 4 elements. Maxillary syncoxa 3 m wide slit at the bottom of a 10 m deep sand funnel. with 1 trisetose endite; endopod 2-segmented with Inside, the cave immediately widens into a single circular formula [4,4]. Maxilliped subchelate with unarmed chamber, 90m in diameter, with a maximum depth of syncoxa; basis with 1 seta; endopod an elongate segment 50m. Light from the overhead skylight entrance pene- drawn out into long subdistal claw bearing 2 accessory trates to all corners of this spacious cavern. Directly elements and forming apical pedestal with 2 geniculate beneath the entrance, a barren sand mound at 27m setae. depth appears to have been formed by sand deposited in P1 exopod 3-segmented; exp- 1 without inner seta; exp-3 the cave during storms. From the mound, the bottom with total of 6 elements. P1 endopod 3-segmented, not slopes away to maximum depths nearest the walls where prehensile. P2-P4 with outer seta/spine on basis and 3- the sediment changes to a fine silt. Walls in the upper segmented rami. Spine- and seta formulae as for type- sections of the cave are completely covered with serpulid species. worm tubes, which have formed pseudo-stalactites, all P5 with separate exopod and baseoendopod; exopod pointing toward the entrance. Visibility is uniform with 5 spines/setae, endopodal lobe with 4 spines; baseo- throughout the cavern at about 10 m. Fosshagen (pers. endopods fused medially in 3. comm.) recorded small numbers of the calanoids B. Female gonopores fused forming transverse common longicaudata, Ridgewayia sp. and Epacteriscus sp. A new genital slit; covered by fused vestigial P6 each bearing 3 species of the superornatiremid genus Neoechinophora short setae; midventral copulatory pore single, small; short was discovered in sections close to the entrance of the copulatory duct leading to paired seminal receptacles. cave; a second undescribed species was collected in the Number of egg-sacs unconfirmed. northern section of Giant Cave at Caye Caulker (Huys & Male sixth pair of legs symmetrical, with 3 setae each. Iliffe, in prep.). Anchihaline caves, freeliving. Type and only genus: Novocrinia gen. n. NOVOCRINIIDAE fam. n. Diagnosis. Harpacticoida. Body fusiform. First Genus Novocrinia gen. n. pedigerous somite fused to cephalosome forming cephalothorax. Rostrum strongly developed, ventrally Diagnosis. As for family. deflected, fused to cephalic shield, trifid. Female genital double-somite with complete transverse, internal chitinous Type and only species: Novocrinia tri3da gen. et sp. n. rib marking original segmentation. Anal operculum Etymology. The generic name is derived from the Latin novus, meaning weakly developed, rounded, bare; pseudoperculum semi- new, and crinis, tuft of hair, and refers to the presence of setoid tufts on circular, denticulate. Caudal rami shorter than wide, with the antenna of both sexes. Gender: feminine. The species name trifida, derived from the Latin trijidus, three-forked, alludes to the shape of the 6 setae (seta I absent; setae IV-V well developed, rostrum.