Monnioticopa, Kim & Boxshall, 2021

Kim, Il-Hoi & Boxshall, Geoff A., 2021, Copepods (Cyclopoida) associated with ascidian hosts: Ascidicolidae, Buproridae, Botryllophilidae, and Enteropsidae, with descriptions of 84 new species, Zootaxa 1, pp. 1-286 : 250-251

Monnioticopa gen. nov.

Diagnosis. Female: Body eruciform or vermiform, weakly segmented, consisting of cephalosome, trunk incorporating first to fifth pedigerous somites, and genitoabdomen. Dorsal tergites indistinct or well-developed on first to fourth pedigerous somites. Anal somite bearing distinct anal prominence. Caudal rami broad, flattened, armed with 1 major and several vestigial setae. Rostrum present. Antennule small, 2- to 4-segmented, armed with small setae. Antenna digitiform, 3- or 4-segmented, unarmed, or almost unarmed. Labrum simple, lacking palps. Mandible modified as powerful claw. Maxillule bilobed; inner lobe (precoxal endite) armed with 0 to 2 setae (or spines) on apex; outer lobe (palp) armed with 1 apical seta. Maxilla bilobate or unilobate, with unsegmented syncoxa; when bilobate, inner lobe (endite of syncoxa) tipped with 1 seta, and outer lobe (basis) armed with 3 setae. Maxilliped absent. Legs 1-4 biramous, each with 2-segmented protopod: coxa unarmed, but expanded and flattened in some species; basis unarmed or armed with outer seta and mediodistal seta in leg 1. Exopods unsegmented or 2-segmented in legs 3 and 4, apically tipped with 1 small claw, and in some species armed with 2 setae on lateral margin. Exopod of leg 3 armed additionally with 1 large spine on lateral margin. Endopods armed distally with 2 setae. Leg 5 lamellate, armed with 2 or 4 minute setae.

Male: unknown.

Type species. Mçnnẚçtẚcçpa prẚma gen. et sp. nov. by original designation.

Etymology. The new genus is named in honour of Dr. Françoise Monniot, who made it possible for us to study the copepod material she and Claude Monniot collected. Gender feminine.

Remarks. Mçnnẚçtẚcçpa gen. nov. can be readily differentiated from existing genera in the family Enteropsidae by the following apomorphic character states: (1) the mandible is represented by a strong claw; (2) the antenna is digitiform, 3- or 4-segmented, and unarmed or almost unarmed; (3) the labrum lacks palps (or any processes); and (4) the caudal rami are broad and armed with 1 major plus several vestigial setae. Within the family, Mçnnẚçtẚcçpa gen. nov. is most closely related to bnterçcçla with which it shares the possession of biramous swimming legs armed with a pair of setae on the endopods, and the lamellate fifth leg. However, the four apomorphic features of Mçnnẚçtẚcçpa gen. nov. listed above are highly significant and ensure that the new genus cannot be confused with bnterçcçla (or any other genera in the Enteropsidae ).

Key to species of Monnioticopa gen. nov.

1. Inner lobe of maxillule armed with 2 spines; maxilla unilobate; exopods of legs 1 and 2 armed with claw plus 2 setae.................................................................................... M. planẚcçxa gen. et sp. nov. Inner lobe of maxillule unarmed or armed with 1 seta; maxilla bilobate; exopods of legs 1 and 2 armed with distal claw.... 2

2. Inner lobe maxillule unarmed; coxae of legs 1-4 with large mediodistal projection............... M. fẚrma gen. et sp. nov. Inner lobe of maxillule tipped with 1 seta; coxae of legs 1-4 lacking mediodistal projection........................... 3

3. Legs 1-4 exopods 2-segmented; first antennular segment with 1 seta; leg 5 proximally narrowed.. M. mẚnuta gen. et sp. nov. Legs 1-4 exopods 1-segmented; first antennular segment with 2 or more setae; leg 5 not proximally narrowed............ 4

4. First antennular segment with 2 setae; first segment of antenna the longest; all setae on outer lobe of maxilla not transformed................................................................................ M. prẚma gen. et sp. nov.

5. First antennular segment with 4 setae; terminal segment of antenna the longest; 2 distal setae on outer lobe of maxilla sigmoid.......................................................................... M. manadçensẚs gen. et sp. nov.