Conopea fidelis, Carrison-Stone, Dana, Syoc, Robert Van, Williams, Gary & Simison, W. Brian, 2013

Carrison-Stone, Dana, Syoc, Robert Van, Williams, Gary & Simison, W. Brian, 2013, Two new species of the gorgonian inhabiting barnacle, Conopea (Crustacea, Cirripedia, Thoracica), from the Gulf of Guinea, ZooKeys 270, pp. 1-20 : 9-13

Conopea fidelis sp. n. Figures 6-9Table 4

Type material.

Holotype: CASIZ185252, separated from CASIZ174322, 95% EtOH. Ponta Baleia, São Tomé, Gulf of Guinea, 0°2.13'N, 6°33.51'E, collected by hand/SCUBA, 24 m, attached to Muriceopsis tuberculata , R. Van Syoc, 30 May 2006. Original label: "RVS - 539, S-6, 30 May 2006, Sao Tome" [handwritten label], California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco.

Paratypes: CASIZ174803 (2 specimens), Diogo Vaz, São Tomé, Gulf of Guinea (0°18.89'N, 6°29.39'E), collected by hand/SCUBA, 9-26 m, R. Van Syoc, 29 May 2006; CASIZ174322 (14 specimens), Ponta Baleia, São Tomé, Gulf of Guinea (0°2.13'N, 6°33.51'E), collected by hand/SCUBA, 24 m, R.Van Syoc, 30 May 2006; CASIZ 178651 (2 specimens), Pedra da Gale, Príncipe, Gulf of Guinea (1°43'30.1"N, 7°22'51.5"E), collected by hand/SCUBA, 30 m, R.Van Syoc, 20 Jan 2009.

Description.

Exterior of shell covered in very small bumps; color variable, white with pink or light purple on parietes and basis, radii usually white or lighter in color, rostrum often white (Fig. 6 A–B). Opercular opening round to diamond shaped, small compared to shell size. Mantle tissue purple near opercular opening. Basis boat shaped (Fig. 6 A–B), highly variable depth and length. Basis length of paratypes 14-32 mm. Basis elongated in rostro-carina axis, often deeply indented and/or warped from growing around axis of gorgonian. Carina convex. Rostrum often elongate. Basis with radiating longitudinal tubes, secondarily filled, hollow near wall plate suture. Wall plates with small longitudinal tubes near external surface of shell. Alae and radii lacking tubes. Sutural margins denticulated. Shell wall compartments strongly fused, not disarticulating in sodium hypochlorite solution.

Scutum (Fig. 7 A–D) with straight to mildly convex tergal margin, occludent margin usually straight, occasionally with curve above basioccludent angle. Basal margin variable, sinuous. Apex subacute. Articular ridge prominent, extending ⅔- ¾ length of scutum. Articular furrow present. Adductor ridge absent. Adductor muscle pit shallow, fairly large. Depressor muscle pit large, deep, broad, may converge with basil margin. Majority of interior surface of scutum smooth, articular ridge and apex with low, flat ridges. Interior and exterior white with varying shades of purple coloration concentrated at apex.

Tergum (Fig. 7 E–G) scutal and carinal margins curved. Basal margin straight or slightly curved. Apex acute. Basicutal angle shallow, upper corner recessed. Spur broad, bears no teeth, about ½ to ⅓ width of tergum, spur furrow open. Articular ridge ⅓ to ½ length of tergum. Articular furrow shallow. Depressor muscle crests faint. Interior rough with multiple small ridges. Coloration matches that of scutum.

Labrum (Fig. 8A) with deep notch, 0-3 teeth on both or one side of notch.

Mandibular palp (Fig. 8B) slightly convex oval shape, superior margin with curved ridge and sparse fine long setae, inferior margin with dense shorter setae.

Mandible (Fig. 8C) with 4-6 teeth excluding inferior angle, decreasing in size, tooth 1 largest, well separated from tooth 2, 2 separated from 3 by smaller distance, teeth 3-6 smallest and closest together, teeth 1and 2 may be bidentate, 4 and 5 may be bifurcated. Inferior margin densely setose near angle, superior margin and cutting margin below teeth sparsely setose.

Maxilla I (Fig. 8D) with 10-12 large thick spines, many smaller, thinner spines along cutting margin, short setae below margin, dense setae on anterior margin, posterior margin sparsely setose, may have shallow notch.

Maxilla II (Fig. 8E) small, oval shaped, bi-lobed, covered in long, fine setae.

Cirrus I (Fig. 9A) rami densely setose, tapered and unequal in length, anterior rami about ⅓ longer, posterior rami with more annulated segmentation.

Cirrus II (Fig. 9B) rami slightly unequal in length, width thick, segmentation distinct, annulated, thick dense setae.

Cirrus III (Fig. 9C) rami unequal in length but less so than CI, anterior ramus longer, width thick, dense thick setae, segmentation distinct, annulated.

Cirrus IV (Fig. 9D) rami long, tapered, anterior side with long dense setae and small spines at base of setae (Fig. 9E) extending from first to twentieth segment (end segment variable), posterior side with short sparse setae at segment divisions.

Cirrus V (Fig. 9F) rami long with long dense setae on anterior side and short sparse setae at segment divisions on posterior side, about equal in length.

Cirrus VI (Fig. 9G) rami long with long dense setae on anterior side, short sparse setae only at segment divisions of posterior side, similar length.

All cirral setae simple.

Penis long with large basidorsal point (Fig. 9H), covered in short very sparse setae, tuft of setae distally (Fig. 9I).

Etymology.

Conopea fidelis sp. n. is named so because it is found to be faithful to one host species of gorgonian, Muriceopsis tuberculata . From the Latin fidelis: faithful or true.

Distribution.

Conopea fidelis sp. n. is known from São Tomé and Príncipe at depths ranging from 5-34 m and is found living on the gorgonian Muriceopsis tuberculata .

Remarks.

Morphological differences between Conopea fidelis sp. n. and Conopea calceola are as follows: Conopea fidelis sp. n. does not have tergal spur teeth, Conopea calceola does; scutal depressor muscle pit may converge with basal margin in Conopea fidelis sp. n., it does not in Conopea calceola ; Conopea fidelis sp. n. maximum basis length is longer than that of Conopea calceola .

Morphological differences between Conopea saotomensis sp. n. and Conopea fidelis sp. n.are as follows: Conopea saotomensis sp. n. shell color ranges from dark purple to light purplish-red, Conopea fidelis sp. n. shell color ranges from light purple to pink; Conopea fidelis sp. n. basis length maximum is longer than that of Conopea saotomensis sp. n.; length of scutal articular furrow in Conopea saotomensis sp. n. is shorter than Conopea fidelis sp. n.; scutal depressor pit may converge with basal margin in Conopea fidelis sp. n. but not in Conopea saotomensis sp. n.; angle between tergal spur and basal margin is smaller in Conopea saotomensis sp. n. than Conopea fidelis sp. n.; tergal spur teeth present in Conopea saotomensis sp. n., absent in Conopea fidelis sp. n.; Conopea saotomensis sp. n. length of tergal articular ridge is equal or longer to that of Conopea fidelis sp. n.; cutting edge spines of maxilla I span entire margin or just ¾ in Conopea saotomensis sp. n, span entire margin in Conopea fidelis sp. n.; Conopea fidelis sp. n. maxilla I may have a notch, Conopea saotomensis sp. n. does not.