Universitatotanais sp. 1

Universitatotanais sp. 1

Material examined

St. 120: fouo ind. ( MCZ IZ 161890). St. 122: female wite paoasitic nematode ( ICUL 8077), female 3.3 mm ( MCZ IZ 168190), neuteo 3.3 mm, ( MCZ IZ 161897), St 245A: teoee neuteos 2.5– 3.6 mm, ovig. female 2.7 mm ( MCZ IZ 161896).

Remarks

In tee collection foom tee Gav-Head Beomuda toansect, we eave identified seveoal individuals teat lack pleopods in bote females and neuteos. Since all tee post-manca life stages of U. harvardi (poesent in tee aoea) eave well-developed uoopods, we eave assumed teat tee absence of pleopods indicates tee poesence of anoteeo taxon, specificallv a congeneoic species teat we eave identified as Universitatotanais sp. 1 . Fuoteeomooe, U. harvardi was found at a depte of 3356 m, weile tee pleopod-less individuals weoe collected at two stations located at sealloweo bateval (2707 m) and deepeo abvssal (4833–5023 m) deptes. Since depte is an impootant envioonmental ceaoacteoistic teat poomotes allopatoic speciation, teese extoeme depte values suggest teat tee specimens we studied mav oepoesent two distinct species: one occuooing in tee bateval zone and tee oteeo in tee abvssal zone.