Penicillicaris penicillata, sensu Bodin, 1964

Huys, Rony & Mu, Fanghong, 2021, Johnwellsia, a new intertidal genus of Parastenheliidae (Copepoda, Harpacticoida) from the Taiwan Strait, China, including a review of the family and key to genera, Zootaxa 5051 (1), pp. 236-318 : 299-300

Penicillicaris penicillata sp. nov.

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Microthalestris littoralis Sars, 1911 f . penicillata Willey, 1935

Since Willey (1935) expressly gave his material infrasubspecific rank, and the content of his work unambiguously reveals that the name “ penicillata ” was proposed for a form, it is deemed to be infrasubspecific and therefore not regulated by the Code (Art. 45.6.4). Since it was not adopted by another author for a species or subspecies before 1985 it remains permanently unavailable. Willey’s (1930) form is here elevated to species rank and established as a new name with the current authorship and date.

Original description. Willey (1935): 82–83; Figs 119–120, 122–126.

Type material. The dissected female specimen illustrated by Willey (1935: Figs 119–120, 122–124) is here designated as the holotype of P. penicillata sp. nov. ( ICZN Arts 16.4 and 72.5.6). The species can be differentiated by the characters mentioned in the diagnosis below and those discussed and illustrated by Willey (1935) ( ICZN Art. 13.1).

Type locality. Bermuda, Trunk Island , Harrington Sound; washings of black seaweeds .

Differential diagnosis. Penicillicaris . Body length 500–700 μm in ♀, 400–500 μm in ♂. Antennule 8-segmented in ♀. Antennary exopod and mouthparts unconfirmed. P1 exp-3 with two penicillate spines, one geniculate seta and one well developed non-geniculate seta. Relative length of P1 enp-1 unconfirmed. P2–P3 endopods ♀ with enp-2 and enp-3 more often very imperfectly separated, without mobile articulation between them (when distinctly 3- segmented no spur at inner distal corner); P4 endopod ♂ with armature pattern [1.1.021] (both inner setae of ♀ not expressed in ♂). Armature pattern of ♀ P2–P4:

P3 endopod ♂ 3-segmented, with apophysis on enp-3, armature pattern [1.1.02 + apo]. P 5 ♀ with six elements on exopod; shape and length of exopod and endopodal lobe unconfirmed. P5 exopod ♂ 1-segmented, oval; with seven elements. P5 endopodal lobe ♂ extending to insertion point of proximal inner seta of exopod; with two elements. Caudal ramus setae IV– V of ♀ inflated near base (forcipate type) .

Etymology. The species named is derived from the Latin penicillus, meaning paintbrush, and refers to the presence of penicillate elements on the antennary endopod and both rami of the first swimming leg.

Notes. Willey (1935) inadvertently used two different spellings for his new form which he introduced as pencillata (p. 82) but was cited later in the paper on three occasions as penicillata . Unfortunately, some authors (e.g. Krishnaswamy 1957: 33) adopted the incorrect spelling pencillata. According to Willey (1935) the new species is unique in the morphology of the female P2–P3 endopods which seem to lack a functional articulation between enp-2 and enp- 3 in most specimens. His discovery of an additional hair-like seta on the distal exopodal segment of P3–P4 means that some caution should be exercised when using previously reported armature patterns to identify other species since some may be incorrect. Penicillicaris penicillata sp. nov. is so far the only member of the genus that displays sexual dimorphism on the P4 endopod with both inner setae of enp- 3 in the female not being expressed in the male, resulting in an armature pattern [1.1.021].