Ozestheria Schwentner & Richter

Rogers, D. Christopher, 2020, Spinicaudata Catalogus (Crustacea: Branchiopoda)., Zoological Studies 59 (45), pp. 1-44 : 22-23

Ozestheria Schwentner & Richter , in

Schwentner, Just, & Richter, 2015

= Caenestheria Daday, 1914: 53 (pro partim)

= Opsipolygrapta Novojilov 1954 (pro partim)

Diagnosis: (modified from Schwentner et al. 2015). Populations composed of males and females; amplexus is venter to venter. Male and female rostrum triangular, rostral spine generally absent (sometimes present in O. australis ). Ocular tubercle smoothly arcuate. Angle between rostrum and frons 150° to 170°. Occipital condyle either short and rounded or elongated and subacute. Carapace valve length ~1.5 times valve breadth (hinge to margin). Carapace with or without sculpturing between growth lines (scarring from algae often mistaken for sculpture). Carapace typically dark brown. Male thoracopod I with endopod bearing one or more transverse apical rows of flattened, broadly subtriangular denticles (claw-like scales). Endite IV broadly transverse to cylindrical, bearing a dense, apical field of short spiniform setae. Eggs attaching to prolonged exopods of thoracopods IX and X. Thoracopod exopods lacking a triangular lamina. Posterior trunk segments with several medial dorsoposterior spines per segment. Telson posterior margin posteriolateral spine rows confluent dorsally, with confluence not projecting. Each row with 10 to 30 spines. Caudal filament originating between spine rows at fifth, sixth, or seventh spines from confluence. Caudal filament borne on projecting mound or not. Cercopods sinuate to curved. Cercopod with medial longitudinal setal row on proximal 40–60%. Setae plumose and either long or short. Setal row terminates with single spine. Cercopod with subapical, dorsal cirrus, extending from 40 to 60% of cercopod length.

Comments: Ozestheria lutraria ( Brady, 1886) is the type species by designation. Until now the genus was thought limited to Australia. Review of material and original descriptions, plus the molecular analyses presented in Schwentner et al. (2020a), reveals that the genus extends into Asia and Africa. Many Cyzicus taxa from Africa and Eurasia may be moved to Ozestheria upon re-examination. Ozestheria packardi appears to be a complex of species ( Schwentner et al. 2015).

Novojilov (1954) erected Opsipolygrapta designating Caenestheriella packardi as the type. Chen and Shen (1985) list Opsipolygrapta as an invalid name.

Attributed Species