Neotanais noelietaiti, Larsen & Hansknecht, 2003

Larsen, Kim & Hansknecht, Tom, 2003, Three new species of the deep-sea genus Neotanais Beddard (Crustacea: Peracarida), Journal of Natural History 37 (23), pp. 2787-2806 : 2800

Neotanais noelietaiti n. sp.

(figures 8–11)

Material examined. Holotype, non-ovigerous X with weakly developed oostegites, bl. 8.0 mm, Slope Stn. 69, 38°29.33∞S, 149°19, 98∞E, 1840 m ( NMV-J47132 ). One X paratype, mouthparts and limbs dissected, same locality ( NMV-J37856 ). Six X, three mancas, Slope Stn. 69, 38°29.33∞S, 149°19.98∞E, 1840 m. One non-ovigerous X, Slope Stn. 27, 38°25.00∞S, 149°00.00∞E, 1500 m. One non-ovigerous X, Slope Stn. 34, 38°16.4∞S, 149°27.6∞E, 800 m. One non-ovigerous X, Slope Stn. 82,41°54.30∞S, 148°58.54∞E, to 41°56.30∞S, 148°56.97∞E, 1770– 1735 m.

Diagnosis (female). Maxilliped endite with inner corners devoid of setae. Pereonite 4 wider than long. Pleonite lacking midventral keel. Pleotelson with posterior margin straight, bearing one terminal lobe. Pleotelson with lateral margins expanded laterally, as wide as pleonites. Antennular article 1 of intermediate length (l/w ratio 4.2), article 4 about twice as long as combined length of articles 5–7. Labrum flat. Cheliped with dactylus and fixed finger of subequal length, fixed finger bearing conspicuous denticles on inner margin. Last pair of pleopods not reaching apex of pleotelson. Uropods as long as or longer than pleon, exopod with two articles, as long as first endopod article. Uropod attachment midlength on pleotelson and at 45° angle.

Etymology. Named in honour of, and due to the morphological similarities (sparse setation) to, the friend and previous supervisor of the senior author, Associate Professor Noel ‘Noelie’ Tait, Macquarie University.