Sphaeromopsis Holdich and Jones, 1973

Schotte, Marilyn & Kensley, Brian, 2005, New species and records of Flabellifera from the Indian Ocean (Crustacea: Peracarida: Isopoda), Journal of Natural History 39 (16), pp. 1211-1282 : 1275

Genus Sphaeromopsis Holdich and Jones, 1973

Restricted synonymy. Sphaeromopsis Holdich and Jones 1973, p 386 ; Holdich and Harrison 1981, p 287.

Key to species of Sphaeromopsis from the Indian Ocean 1. Pleotelson with lateral margins sinuous..... S. reticulata Stebbing, 1910b

[Red Sea] – Lateral margins of pleotelson not sinuous............ 2

2. Apex of pleotelson broadly truncate... S. amathitis Holdich and Jones, 1973 [ Kenya, Somalia, Persian Gulf]

– Apex of pleotelson not broadly truncate............. 3

3. Pleotelson smooth, apex broadly rounded.. S. minutus Javed and Yousuf, 1995 [ Pakistan]

– Pleotelson with small, medial sulcus, apex narrowly rounded. S. sulcifera , n. sp. [ Seychelles]

Diagnosis

Eubranchiate with antennular peduncle article not expanded anteriorly as plate. Both sexes with pereon and pleon lacking dorsal processes. Uropodal rami lamellar; endopod greater than half length of exopod. Pleotelsonic apex entire, lacking notch, but lateral margins folded ventrally. Sexual dimorphism not pronounced. Penes fused at base, broad in proximal half. Inferior margins of pereopods in male typically with dense or long, fine setae. Ovigerous female mouthparts not metamorphosed; brood pouch lacking oostegites and formed by two ventral pockets opening between fourth pereopods.