Austromesocypris

Karanovic, Ivana, Eberhard, Stefan & Perina, Giulia, 2012, Austromesocypris bluffensis sp. n. (Crustacea, Ostracoda, Cypridoidea, Scottiinae) from subterranean aquatic habitats in Tasmania, with a key to world species of the subfamily, ZooKeys 215, pp. 1-31 : 8-9

Austromesocypris sp. Figures 8C12

Material examined.

One juvenile female (A-7 or A-8) (TMAG 6207), Damper Cave, Precipitous Bluff, 43°30'S, 146°35'E, 90 km SW of Hobart, Tasmania, Australia, Tributary stream 20 m inside entrance, 14 May 2011 (dissected on one slide), collected by R. and S. Eberhard, G. Perina, S. Catomore

Descriptive notes.

Triangular shell (Figs 8C, 12A) with left valve overlapping right one. Anterior and posterior margins rounded with long marginal hair-like setae. Surface not highly hirsute. Length 0.58 mm. UR (Fig. 12B) with anterior margin sparsely covered with strong setulae (same on both rami). Posterior seta pappose and only 1/3 length of posterior claws. Both claws strongly serrated; posterior one only slightly shorter. Anterior seta pappose and longer than anterior claw.

Remarks.

This species is assigned to the genus Austromesocypris Martens, De Deckker & Rossetti, 2004 based on the appearance of the UR. The undescribed female was probably a late juvenile (A-7 or A-8), as indicated by the well-developed appendages (including the 6-segmented A1). However, the setae on the L6 and L7 had a swollen base and the oviducts, as well as the entire genital field, were undeveloped. Until now, no Scottiinae were known with such a triangular and asymmetrical carapace shape. An unnamed fossil species, Mesocypris sp., from the Pulbeena Swamp in Tasmania (De Deckker 1982) also has a highly arched carapace, but the posterior margin in this species is broader and the LV is not higher than the RV.

Associated fauna.

Other taxa collected in the Damper Cave samples included: a) Copepoda ( Diacyclops cryonastes Morton, 1985), Amphipoda ( Paramelitidae ), Isopoda ( Styloniscidae ), Oligochaeta ( Phreodrilidae ), Gastropoda ( Hydrobiidae ), Nematoda , Turbellaria ( Tricladida ), Diptera , Plecoptera , and Ephemeroptera from the main stream Site; and b) Isopoda ( Janiridae : Heterias sp.) from the stalactite drip Site E.