Danalia galea, Boyko & Van Der Meij, 2018

DANALIA GALEA View in CoL SP. NOV.

( FIGS 6F, G, 11A, B)

u r n: l s i d: z o o b a n k. o r g: a c t: 2 2 A 4 6 5 B F - D 0 C 5 - 4E2A-A8A4-F88C175439D4

Type material

Indonesia: Mature non-ovigerous holotype female (6.3 mm) (RMNH.Crus.I.7753), ex ventral abdomen of female Lithoscaptus paradoxus A. Milne-Edwards, 1862 (6.0 mm long × 3.3 mm wide) (RMNH.Crus.D.53188), ex Platygyra lamellina ( Ehrenberg, 1834) ( Merulinidae ), Timur I, Bunaken Island, 01°36′38″N, 124°46′59″E, 11 December 2008, coll. S. E. T. van der Meij.

Papua New Guinea: Mature non-ovigerous paratype female (1.7 mm long × 1.0 mm wide) (RMNH. Crus.I.7705), between fourth and fifth pereopod, left side, inserted into fifth pereopod base of female Dacryomaia sp. (3.5 mm long × 1.9 mm wide) (RMNH.Crus.D.57067), ex Psammocora cf. digitata H. Milne Edwards & Haime, 1851 ( Psammocoridae ), Steffen Channel, Kavieng, 02°43′22″S, 150°34′28″E, 18 August 2014, coll. F. Benzoni.

Description

Female ( Fig. 6F, G): 6.3 mm long; mature females very broad in dorsal view, body robust, width nearly two-thirds of length, intersection of proximal and distal portions of body giving a laterally indented appearance in dorsal view, body with slight ventral indentation, proximal and distal ends rounded, surface without lobes but with irregular indentations dorsally, some of surface with areas of cuticular lines, internal segmentation not visible; anteroventral shield very small. Trunk short and barely extending from body, inserted into body subterminally at proximal end, attachment lobes missing (presumed thin and fragile). Directly parasitizing cryptochirid host, either on the ventral surface of the abdomen or on posterior pereopods.

Etymology

The species name is from the Latin galea , meaning helmet, for the overall appearance of the female body. It is used as a noun in apposition.

Remarks

The distinctive helmet-like shape is unique to this species and the attachment stalk perhaps the shortest known in species of the genus. The attachment position of the paratypes on posterior pereopods of the host is unusual, but other species in the genus (e.g. Danalia hapalocarcini , see next subsection) parasitize locations other than the ventral surface of the abdomen. However, given that this species was found in two locations on hosts, it is unclear whether one is the preferred location or if both are equally suitable to the parasite.

Known hosts

Dacryomaia sp. , L. paradoxus A. Milne-Edwards, 1862 View in CoL .

Distribution

Indonesia and Papua New Guinea.