Chauliodoniscus wilsoni, George, 2004

George, Robert Y., 2004, Deep-sea asellote isopods (Crustacea, Eumalacostraca) of the north-west Atlantic: the family Haploniscidae, Journal of Natural History 38 (3), pp. 337-373 : 358

Chauliodoniscus wilsoni n. sp.

(figure 11)

Diagnosis. Chauliodoniscus with anterolateral angles of pereonites 2–4 produced and acute. Frontal margin of cephalon entire and straight. Posterior margin of pleotelson rounded and extending as far as the tip of the posterolateral projections. Flagellum of antenna 1 composed of five articles. Male pleopod 1 distally truncated. Uropod tip reaching to the tip of the posterolateral projections of the pleotelson.

Material examined. Holotype: male, length 1.8 mm, width 0.7 mm. USNM Cat. No. 138671.

Type locality. R / V Eastward Sta. G-5481 from the Carolina continental rise at site Sigma .

Etymology. This new species is named in honour of Prof. Edward Wilson of Harvard University.

Description of male. Body more than twice as long as wide, cephalon quadrate in shape. Cephalon about as long as the anterior two pereonites combined. First pereonite with rounded lateral margins and significantly shorter than the second. Pereonites 2–4 with acutely produced anterolateral angles. Lateral sutures between pereonites present but far more well-developed between pereonites 4 and 5. Pereonites 5–7 decreasing in length, the seventh being the shortest. Pleotelson shield-like with posterior margin rounded and reaching to the tips of the posterolateral projections.

Antenna 1 with two peduncular articles, article 2 longer and broader; flagellum of five articles, terminal article the longest and bearing a tuft of three long aesthetascs and four setae. Antenna 2 with a peduncle of four broad articles, article 4 broadest and foliaceous, flagellum composed of eight articles. Male pleopod 1 with truncated distal margin. Male pleopod 2 with a short and stout stylet. Uropod uniramous, tip reaching to the acute apex of the posterolateral projection of the pleotelson.

Remarks. Chauliodoniscus wilsoni n. sp. is somewhat similar to C. quadrifrons (Menzies, 1962) from the Gulf of Guinea, off the Congo River and off Gabon, south Atlantic. In both species the cephalon is quadrate, article 5 of antenna 2 is not inflated and pereonites 2–4 have produced anterolateral angles. Nevertheless, the most striking difference is seen in the posterior aspect of the pleotelson, with the median margin and uropods extending to the tip of the posterolateral angles of pleotelson. Chauliodoniscus quadrifrons has setae on its lateral margins, but C. sandersi is devoid of lateral setae. Furthermore, the male first pleopod in this new species is truncated distally.