Gaussicuma, ZIMMER, 1907

Haye, Pilar A., 2007, Systematics of the genera of Bodotriidae (Crustacea: Cumacea), Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 151 (1), pp. 1-58 : 25-26

GAUSSICUMA ZIMMER, 1907

Type species: Gaussicuma vanhoeffeni Zimmer, 1907

Body: Carapace shorter than abdomen and similar in length or longer than peraeon; abdomen longer than carapace and peraeon together.

Cephalothorax: From dorsal view the carapace may appear laterally compressed anteriorly. Carapace with mid-dorsal ridge or mid-dorsal serration; may have dorso-lateral ridges. Pseudorostral lappets extend beyond frontal lobe and meet in midline or are widely separated. Antennal notch as a depression or as a subacute incision. Anterolateral corner with subacute or acute tooth. Frontal lobe from 1/3 to half the total carapace length; as wide as long; anteriorly linguiform or somewhat extended; without ocular pigment or eye lenses.

Antenna 1 with basal article of the peduncle arcuate or straight and of variable length with respect to the other two articles together. Main flagellum biarticulated; with one or two aesthetascs in distal-most article. Accessory flagellum uni- or bi-articulated. Antenna 2 in females with two articles.

Maxilliped 3 basis arcuate; may be extended dorsodistally over ischium beyond the articulation of the ischium and merus or not projected over ischium. Ischium as long as or shorter than merus. Merus without dorsal projection, extended dorso-distally over carpus or slightly expanded laterally. Carpus may be oviform; equal to or shorter than propodus and dactylus together. Propodus distally widened or not.

Peraeon: First peraeonite well exposed or visible only above lateral midline. Peraeonite 2 may have ventrolateral expansion overriding carapace and/or peraeonite 3, only overriding peraeonite 1 and/or carapace, only peraeonite 3 or not overriding other somites. Peraeonite 3 may have ventrolateral expansion extended backwards overriding peraeonite 4 or forward and backwards overriding peraeonites 2 and 4. Peraeonite 4 may have ventrolateral expansion overriding peraeonite 5 or peraeonites 3 and 5.

Females and males with fully developed exopods on peraeopods 1–3; males also have fully developed exopods on peraeopod 4. Peraeopod 1 with basis arcuate or straight; may have a row of setae. Carpus equal in length to propodus; dactylus with or without three terminal setae. Peraeopod 2 with ischium; dactylus longer than propodus. Peraeopod 4 with ischium.

Pleon: Pleonite 5 variable in length with respect to pleonite 6. Pleonite 6 longer than wide; longer than peduncle of uropod; may have many small setae on posterior edge of pleonite 6. Wide portion of posterior end of pleonite 6 strongly extended past the insertion of the uropods; ending in a point or a rounded apex.

Uropod endopod bi-articulated; proximal article longer than distal one. Uropod exopod with proximal article shorter than distal one. Peduncle of uropods variable in length with respect to rami; rami approximately same length or endopod longer. Males with five pairs of pleopods. Pleopodal endopod with welldeveloped process.

Species included:

1. G. dufresnae Watling & Gerken, 1999

2. G. gloriosae Ledoyer, 1988

3. G. gurjanovae Lomakina, 1952

4. G. kermadecense Jones, 1969

5. G. scabrum Jones, 1969

6. G. vanhoeffeni Zimmer, 1907

Distribution: Most frequently found in the Southern Ocean at depths ranging from 3400 to 4600 m. Also found in the Indian and South Pacific Oceans. Gaussicuma gurjanovae is found in relatively shallower waters (from 42 to 105 m) in the North-West Pacific Ocean. Gaussicuma dufresnae is found on the deep South Atlantic off the coast of Brazil.