Danalia falsicrura, Boyko & Van Der Meij, 2018

DANALIA FALSICRURA View in CoL SP. NOV.

( FIGS 6B–E, 11C)

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:CEA5CFEA-C2FE-41FA-B5AB-5A2C14EB765F

‘three small sac-like parasites’ Utinomi, 1944: 696–697, fig. 4 {ex Pseudocryptochirus viridis Hiro, 1938 , ex Turbinaria contorta Bernard, 1896 [= T. frondens (Dana, 1846) ] ( Dendrophyllidae ), Tanabe Bay, Japan}.

‘ Danalia sp. Utinomi, 1944 ’ Boyko, 2015: 76.

Type material

Guam: Immature holotype female (6.6 mm) ( USNM 1461192), ex abdomen of female Opecarcinus crescentus ( Edmondson, 1925) (2.1 mm long × 1.8 mm wide) ( USNM 234257), ex Pavona duerdeni Vaughan, 1907 ( Agariciidae ), main patch reef, double reef, 24 February 1984, coll. R. K. Kropp.

Indonesia: Immature paratype female (4.8 mm) ( RMNH.Crus.I.7752), ex abdomen of female Fungicola utinomi ( Fize & Serène, 1956a) (4.3 mm long × 2.5 mm wide) ( RMNH.Crus.D.54222), ex Lithophyllon repanda (Dana, 1846) ( Fungiidae ), North Pulau Dua, Lembeh Strait, 01°23′28″N, 125°12′58″E, 13 February 2012, coll. S. E. T. van der Meij.

Description

Female ( Fig. 6B–E): 6.6 mm long; mature female cylindrical, body strongly recurved, proximal and distal ends rounded, surface smooth without indications of segments, internal segmentation not visible; anteroventral shield large. Trunk thick but very short, variably inserted into body either subterminally ( Fig. 6B) or terminally ( Fig. 6D, E), attachment lobes variable (probably owing to development), either from two short, rounded lobes terminally on stalk ( Fig. 6E) or four thin, flat lobes extending from central stalk ( Fig. 6C). Directly parasitizing cryptochirid host.

Etymology

The species name is a combination of falsum and crura, meaning ‘false legs’, which refers to the stumplike processes emanating from the centre of the ventral surface that resemble the prolegs of caterpillars (Lepidoptera). It is used as a noun in apposition.

Remarks

Utinomi (1944) found two female Pseudocryptochirus viridis infested with one or two parasites on each of their ventral abdominal surfaces, and his description and drawings leave little doubt that his specimens from Japan are conspecific with D. falsicrura sp. nov. The shape of the body is nearly identical, and the presence of four small foot-like ventral projections is unique to this species. Utinomi’s (1944) females all had the attachment process centrally located on the proximal end of each parasite, which is also seen in the specimen from Indonesia. The Guam female, however, has the attachment process set back from the proximal end and positioned more ventrally than in the other specimens. Utinomi’s (1944) fig. 4B appears to show indistinct surface lobes indicating the presence of five segments to the body, but this is not seen in his fig. 1A or in the present specimens.

Known hosts

Fungicola utinomi ( Fize & Serène, 1956a) View in CoL , Opecarcinus crescentus ( Edmondson, 1925) View in CoL , Pseudocryptochirus viridis Hiro, 1938 View in CoL .

Distribution

Known from Guam (type locality) , Indonesia and Japan.