Bofuriella spinosa Fosshagen and Iliffe, 2007

Bofuriella spinosa Fosshagen and Iliffe, 2007 View in CoL

( Figs. 4–5)

Material. One adult male ( ECO-CH-Z11738 View Materials ), Mexico, Quintana Roo, Playa del Carmen, Cenote Arco Luminoso (20°34’9.59’’N, 87°12’51.73’’W), halocline at 14 m depth; mounted in two separate semipermanent slides with glycerol, sealed with Entellan ® (P5 were separated from the rest of the structures); coll. 30 Nov 2022 by M. Vázquez, E. Sosa, H. Salgado, and L.M. Mejía-Ortiz GoogleMaps .

Description of male. Total body length = 1.99 mm including caudal rami. Prosome smooth, 1.58 times longer than urosome. Urosome 5-segmented, with anal somite almost half-length of proximal segment. Caudal rami with 6 setae ( Fig. 4G). Rostrum with 2 short projections, left A1 26-segmented and maxillulae as in female.

Right A1 ( Fig. 4A, B) 21-segmented, armed as follows: 1 (1s + 1ae), 2 (6s + 1ae), 3–16 (2s + 1ae), 17 (1s + 1sp), 18 (1s + sp), 19 (2s + 1ae + 1sp), 20 (4s + 1sp + 1ae), 21 (6s + 1ae). All segments well differentiated, geniculation at segments 18 and 19.

A2 ( Fig. 4C). Cx with distal seta. Bs armed with two setae. Exp 8-segmented, almost twice as long as Enp, setal formula: 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 4; Exp 1 with short seta. Enp 2- segmented. Enp1 with 2 setae; Enp2 bilobed, each lobe with 7 setae.

Md ( Fig. 4D). Gnathobase with 5 bicuspidate denticles, armed with accessory spines and pinnate dorsal seta. Md palp with smooth Bs, Exp 4-segmented, setal armature: 0, 2, 1, 3; Exp1, 2 with pseudosegmentation. Enp 2-segmented; Enp1 with single seta, Enp2 with 4 setae.

Mx2 ( Fig. 4E). Pcx and Cx each with 2 well-developed lobes. First lobe of Pcx with 5 setae, succeeding lobes armed with 3 setae each. Second lobe of Cx with proximal setules. Bs with 4 setae. Enp 3-segmented, with 4, 3, 4 setal armature.

Mxp ( Fig. 4F). Pcx with single seta. Cx with 3 lobes, setal formula: 2,4,4. Bs with 3 marginal and 2 distal setae. Enp 5-segmented with setal formula: 4, 4, 3, 3, 4; Enp5 reduced, inserted distally on Enp4 segment.

P1 ( Fig. 5A). Cx with inner seta. Bs with inner distal spinous process, long seta reaching limit of Exp2, and small outer basipodal seta. Exp and Enp 3-segmented. Exp with outer long distal spine on each segment. Exp2 with outer setules, Exp3 with 6 setae. Enp1 and 2 with inner distal acute projection and outer seta, Enp3 with inner seta, 3 apical and 2 outer setae. Setal armature as in Tab. 2.

P2 – P4 ( Fig. 5B–D). Intercoxal plate smooth, without spinous terminal processes. Cx with inner distal seta. Bs with inner rounded distal process. Exp and Enp 3-segmented with the armature as described in Table 2. P 4 with outer small seta on Bs ( Fig. 5 D).

Right P5 ( Fig. 5E–H). Cx subrectangular, broader than long. Bs with strong, peak-like inner projection proximally, and distal outer seta. Exp and Enp 3-segmented ( Fig.5E–G). Exp1 with outer distal spine, with strong projection as presented in Figure 5H; Exp2 broader than long, with short spinous projection and long distal modified outer spine, narrow with hyaline membrane on both margins, reaching well beyond distal end of Exp3; Exp3 with 3 elements: small curved outer spine, long and acute terminal process and strong inner spine ending in curved tip ( Fig. 5G). Enp1 with plumose inner seta; Enp2 with plumose inner seta and curved spine; Enp3 with 6 plumose setae ( Fig. 5F).

Left P5 ( Fig. 5E). Cx subrectangular, broader than long. Bs with small outer seta and sinusoid inner spinous process.Exp and Enp 3-segmented.Exp1 with strong medial curved spine with setules, reaching beyond distal margin of Exp2; Exp2 subquadrate, ca. half the length of Exp1, with outer spine; Exp3 elongate, slender, with 2 long proximal unequally long setal elements, segment terminally covered with minute integumental papules. Enp1 with plumose seta, Enp2 with plumose seta and strong distal spine not reaching distal margin of succeeding segment. Enp3 armed with 6 plumose setae.

Distribution. Bofuriella spinosa is known from its type locality in Middle Caicos Islands ( Fosshagen and Iliffe, 2007), with previous records in Turks and Caicos Islands ( Gonzalez et al., 2020). This is the first record of B. spinosa outside its type locality and in caves of the Mexican Caribbean, also, the third epacteriscid reported from the YP (see Suárez-Morales et al., 2006).

Remarks. Currently, only three species of Bofuriella are known for the Caribbean Sea (see Appendix – Tab. A1), including Bofuriella vorata Fosshagen, Boxshall and Iliffe, 2001 and Bofuriella paravorata Fosshagen and Iliffe, 2007 from Bahamas ( Fosshagen et al., 2001; Fosshagen and Iliffe, 2007). We identified our specimen as member of Bofuriella by following the emended generic diagnosis by Fosshagen and Iliffe (2007: 85): (1) antennary endopod almost 2/3 as long as the exopod and has a well-developed inner lobe; (2) mandibular palp with 2-segmented endopod, with 2 – 5 setae; (3) maxilla with well-developed praecoxal and coxal lobes on. We also identified this male individual as B. spinosa by its possession of (1) a short seta on exopod 1 of the antenna; (2) 5 setae on the endopod of the mandibular palp; and (3) large spines on leg 1 exopodal segments.

Based on the male description of B. spinosa from Mexico, we identified the following structures that allowed us to distinguish this species from its congeners B. vorata (see Fosshagen et al., 2001: fig. 26C) and B. paravorata (see Fosshagen and Iliffe, 2007: fig. 8C, D), for example: (1) exopod 2 of right fifth leg with long ramus that reaches beyond exopod3; (2) exopod 3 of right fifth leg has three well differentiated thick spinal elements; (3) left fifth leg basipod with inner sinusoid spinous process, compared to the strong projection as described for both congeners; (4) exopod 3 of left fifth leg elongated and slender, with 2 unequal setae and terminal papules; and (6) endopod 3 of left fifth leg without the known row of flattened spinules. These comparisons along with other structures are shown in Tab.A2 (Appendix) in more detail. We also provide a key of Bofuriella species.