Janaira Moreira & Pires, 1977

Doti, Brenda Lía & Wilson, George D. F., 2010, The genera Carpias Richardson, Ianiropsis Sars and Janaira Moreira & Pires (Isopoda: Asellota: Janiridae) from Australia, with description of three new species, Zootaxa 2625, pp. 1-39 : 26

Janaira Moreira & Pires, 1977

Janaira Moreira & Pires, 1977: 23 ; Wilson & Wägele, 1994: 708 –709.

Type species. Janaira gracilis Moreira & Pires, 1977 by original designation. Species included. J. gracilis Moreira & Pires, 1977 ; J. platyoura sp. nov.

Diagnosis. Head anterior margin in dorsal view sinuate with medial convexity. Eyes large, with more than 10 ocelli. Pereonites 2–3 laterally convex. Pleotelson lateral margin denticles absent. Antennula with 9–12 articles. Right mandible spine row with 7 spines; molar distal margin with paired blade-like ridges; palp article 1 simple setae absent. Maxilla lateral lobes with 3–4 curved denticulate setae. Maxilliped palp article 3 distally subrectangular, distomedial margin with distinct inflection; endite with 2 receptaculi. Pereopod I coxa projecting anterolaterally, angular. Pereopod I with limited sexual dimorphism, in males carpus proximally broader than distally, in females proximally as wide as distally. Pereopod I of adult (terminal) male carpus with few short setae, robust setae present in two rows, ventral margin proximal to palm approximately linear, slightly sinuous, ventral margin palm region roughly parallel with dorsal margin; propodus ventral margin with robust setae, without spines; dactylus well developed, with 2 claws. Pereopods II–VII dactylus ventral claw near same basal width as dorsal claw. Pereopods II–VII not sexually dimorphic; coxa anterolateral margin rounded. Operculum of female distal margin concave. Pleopod I of adult male lateral lobe distal margin present. Pleopod II of adult male stylet curving laterally with no inflections or almost straight; endopod proximal article width near distal article maximum width. Pleopod III exopod uniarticulate distal margin acute, tapering to narrowly rounded tip, distal margin with 1 simple seta, plumose seta absent.

Distribution. Coastal Brazil to Columbia in South America and southern New South Wales in Australia.

Remarks. Janaira is similar to Carpias , Ianiropsis and Janira (see discussion in Wilson & Wägele, 1994). Janaira can be easily distinguished from Carpias and Ianiropsis by their limited sexual dimorphism in pereopod I. In addition, Janaira have pereopods II similar in both sexes, while the males of Janira have an elongate pereopod II. Other features that make Janaira distinct from Janira are ( Janira features in parenthesis): antennula short, with 9–12 articles (long, more than 25 articles), pleotelson lateral margins smooth (with denticles), pleopod III exopod lateral margin with no setae (exopod lateral margin with setae).