Castellanethes ighousi Moutaouakil & Boulanouar, 2023

Moutaouakil, Soumia, Boulanouar, Mohamed, Ghamizi, Mohamed, Lips, Josiane & Ferreira, Rodrigo Lopes, 2023, Two new sympatric cave species of Castellanethes (Isopoda, Oniscidea, Olibrinidae) from Western High Atlas of Morocco, Subterranean Biology 45, pp. 17-37 : 17

Castellanethes ighousi Moutaouakil & Boulanouar sp. nov.

Figs 5 , 6 , 7 , 8C, F , 9E, F , 10C, F, I , 11G-I , 12F

Material examined.

Holotype: Morocco • 1 ♂ (mounted on a slide), Agadir-Imi Ougoug Cave , alt. 773 m, 22 May 2016, Moutaouakil S. leg., MHNM ZAI02 . Paratypes: Morocco • 2 ♀, Imi Ougoug Cave , 29 Dec 2019, Moutaouakil S. leg., MHNM ZAI09 • 1 ♂, Tigmi N'Dou Akkal Cave , 25 Feb 2020, Moutaouakil S. leg., MHNM ZAI10 .

Diagnosis.

Telson with double-rounded tips. Antennula with three petaliform aesthetascs. Antennal flagellum with five articles. Molar penicil of mandible with two plumose setae. Male pleopod 1 endopod with four scales at the apex inner margin. Male pleopod 2 endopod stout with distal part tapering.

Description.

Maximum body length: ♂ and ♀ 8 mm. Body outline as in Fig. 5A . Colourless body, dorsal surface slightly granulated. Pleon narrower than pereon. Telson reduced, about three times wider than long (Fig. 10C ). Antennula with three articles; third article with three petaliform aesthetascs (Fig. 8F ). Antenna long; articles of peduncle with small-scale setae and simple setae, flagellum of five articles (Fig. 8C ). Mandible with molar penicil consisting of two branches (Fig. 9E, F ). Maxillula (Fig. 5B ) outer endite with nine to ten simple teeth, two or three serrated setae and one long simple seta; inner endite with one row of small simple setae on inner distal margin. Maxilla (Fig. 5C ) rounded and covered with many thin simple setae and a row of thick setae. Maxilliped (Fig. 5D ) endite with long apical penicil; epipodite hairy with a row of elongate setae on distal margin. Dactylar seta bifurcated and plumose. Pereopods increase in size, with pereopod 7 about twice as long as pereopod 1 (Fig. 6A-G ). Uropods (Fig. 10C ) with protopod wider than long; exopod as thick as endopod, bearing one row of scales on inner margin; endopod bearing many short setae on apex and one long seta.

Male. Pleopod 1 (Figs 7A , 10F ) endopod with pointed tip bent inwards, bearing four scales on inner side; exopod triangular bearing one seta at apex and thin simple setae on inner margin (Fig. 7B ). Pleopod 2 (Figs 7C , 10I ) endopod bent outwards with wide proximal half and thin distal part; exopod with small simple setae on inner margin (Fig. 7D ).

Etymology.

The new species is named after Mr. Ighous Abdelaziz, the speleologist with whom one of the authors (SM) visited Imi Ougoug Cave the first time and who passed away 5 years ago. He was one of the pioneers of speleology in the Agadir region and one of the founders of the Association Sportive de Spéléologie (ASS).

Figures

Figure 5. Castellanethes ighousi sp. nov. ♂ specimen from Imi Ougoug Cave A adult specimen, dorsal view B maxillula C maxilla D maxilliped. Scale bars: 1 mm (A); 0.1 mm (B-D).

Figure 6. Castellanethes ighousi sp. nov. ♂ specimen from Imi Ougoug Cave A pereopod 1 B pereopod 2 C pereopod 3 D pereopod 4 E pereopod 5 F pereopod 6 G pereopod 7. Scale bar: 0.5 mm.

Figure 7. Castellanethes ighousi sp. nov. from Imi Ougoug Cave A male pleopod 1 B female pleopod 1 exopod C male pleopod 2 D female pleopod 2 exopod E male pleopod 3 F male pleopod 4 G male pleopod 5. Scale bar: 0.1 mm.

Figure 8. Castellanethes soloisensis from Goran Cave A antenna D antennula. Castellanethes ougougensis sp. nov. from Imi Ougoug Cave B antenna E antennula. Castellanethes ighousi sp. nov. from Imi Ougoug Cave C antenna F antennula. Scale bars: 1 mm (A); 500 µm (B, C); 100 µm (D-F).

Figure 9. Castellanethes soloisensis from Goran Cave A left mandible B right mandible. Castellanethes ougougensis sp. nov. from Imi Ougoug Cave C left mandible D right mandible. Castellanethes ighousi sp. nov. from Imi Ougoug Cave E left mandible F right mandible. Scale bar: 200 µm (A-F).

Figure 10. Castellanethes soloisensis from Goran Cave A telson + uropods D male pleopod 1 G male pleopod 2. Castellanethes ougougensis sp. nov. from Imi Ougoug Cave B telson + uropods E male pleopod 1 H male pleopod 2. Castellanethes ighousi sp. nov. from Imi Ougoug Cave C telson + uropods F male pleopod 1 I male pleopod 2. Scale bar: 500 µm (A, C, G); 400 µm (B); 300 µm (D, F, I); 200 µm (E, H).

Figure 11. Castellanethes soloisensis ♂ specimen from Goran Cave A pereopod 1 B pereopod 6 C pereopod 7. Castellanethes ougougensis sp. nov. ♂ specimen from Imi Ougoug Cave D pereopod 1 E pereopod 6 F pereopod 7. Castellanethes ighousi sp. nov. ♂ specimen from Imi Ougoug Cave G pereopod 1 H pereopod 6 I pereopod 7. Scale bar: 1 mm (H, I); 500 µm (A-G).

Figure 12. Presentation of the type locality (Imi Ougoug Cave) A entrance of the Imi Ougoug Cave B Imi Ougoug Cave topography C external area at Talmat River D aquatic habitat inside Imi Ougoug Cave E terrestrial habitat F Castellanethes ighousi in a pond G Scolopendromorpha / isopod's predator H Castellanethes ougougensis.