Bathycuma, HANSEN, 1895

Haye, Pilar A., 2007, Systematics of the genera of Bodotriidae (Crustacea: Cumacea), Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 151 (1), pp. 1-58 : 23-24

BATHYCUMA HANSEN, 1895

Type species: Bathycuma elongatum Hansen, 1895

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

Cephalothorax: From dorsal view the carapace appears laterally compressed anteriorly. Carapace may have mid-dorsal ridge, mid-dorsal serration and/ or transverse ridge. Pseudorostral lappets extend beyond frontal lobe and meet in midline or extend towards midline but do not meet. Antennal notch as a depression or as a subacute incision. Anterolateral corner with subacute or acute tooth. Branchial siphons extend just beyond pseudorostrum or are long, extending much beyond pseudorostrum. Frontal lobe 1/4 to half of the total carapace length; longer than wide; anteriorly linguiform, may be somewhat extended; without ocular pigment or eye lenses.

Antenna 1 with basal article of the peduncle geniculate, arcuate or straight; as long as or shorter than the other two articles together. Main flagellum uni-, bi- or tri-articulated; with second and third article approximately same length or with second article longer than third; may have two aesthetascs in distal-most article. Accessory flagellum uni- or biarticulated; may have a brush of setae on accessory flagellum. Antenna 2 in males approximately reaching half-length of pleon. Antenna 2 in females with three articles.

Maxilliped 3 basis arcuate; extended dorso-distally over ischium beyond the articulation of the ischium and merus. Ischium longer than or as long as merus. Merus slightly expanded laterally. Carpus may be distally widened; carpus equal to or shorter than propodus and dactylus together. Propodus may be distally widened.

Peraeon: First peraeonite well exposed or visible only above lateral midline. Peraeonite 2 may have ventrolateral expansion overriding peraeonite 1 and/or carapace, peraeonite 1 and/or carapace and peraeonite 3 or not overriding other somites. Peraeonite 3 may have ventrolateral expansion extended forward overriding peraeonite 2, 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 and may have row of setae; may have row of setae on the carpus; with or without setae in a linear arrangement along propodus; carpus equal to or shorter than propodus; dactylus with or without three terminal setae. Peraeopod 2 with ischium; dactylus longer than propodus. Peraeopod 4 with ischium.

Pleon: Pleonite 6 longer than wide; variable in length with respect to peduncle of uropod; may have many small setae on posterior edge of pleonite 6. Wide portion of the distal end of pleonite 6 strongly or slightly extended past the insertion of the uropods; ending in a point or a rounded apex. Anal plates may extend posteriorly beyond distal margin of pleonite six and may bear setae on posterior margin.

Uropod endopod bi-articulated; two articles approximately same length or proximal article longer than distal one. Uropod exopod with proximal article shorter than distal one. Peduncle of uropods slightly longer than or as long as rami; rami approximately same length or exopod longer than endopod. Males with five pairs of pleopods.

Species included:

1. B. brevirostre ( Norman, 1879)

2. B. capense ( Zimmer, 1921 a)

3. B. datum Day, 1975

4. B. declinatum Gamô, 1989

5. B. elongatum Hansen, 1895

6. B. granulatum Gamô, 1990

7. B. longicaudatum Calman, 1912

8. B. longirostre Calman, 1905

9. B. magnum Jones, 1969 (Synonymy: B. magna Jones, 1969 ; B. magnum Bâcescu, 1988 )

10. B. natalense Stebbing, 1912

11. B. okinawaense Gamô, 1989

12. B. rotunditectorum Gamô, 1990

13. B. squamosa Mühlenhardt-Siegel, 2005

14. B. vemae Petrescu, 1995

15. Bathycuma sp. Wolff, 1970

Distribution: Deep waters (up to 5000 m) of the North Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans, Mediterranean Sea and off the coasts of South Africa.