Asterocheres felipae, Bahiana & Farias & Neves & Johnsson, 2025

Asterocheres felipae sp. nov.

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( Figs. 8–10 View FIGURE 8 View FIGURE 9 View FIGURE 10 )

Diagnosis: Asterocheres . Female antennule 21-segmented. Antenna with 3-segmented endopod, with armature formula: 0,2,2. Mandibular palp 2-segmented. Maxillule with 5 setae on inner lobe, 4 setae on outer lobe. Maxilliped 5-segmented, with armature formula (0,0,2,1,1+claw).

Material examined: Holotype female ( UFBA 3197 )dissected on a permanent slide, associated with scleractinian coral Tubastraea ramosa Serra, Neves & Johnsson, 2024 from a private terminal on Itaparica Island ( 12°53’21.2”S, 38°41’04.3”W), Itaparica City, Bahia State, Brazil, at about 3–4 m depth, collected by C. Borges, G. Resende, A. Farias, and E. Neves on February 20, 2016. GoogleMaps

Description of female: Body ( Fig. 8a View FIGURE 8 ) cyclopiform with cephalosome laterally enlarged compared to other somites and with posterior margins pointed. Body length (excluding caudal setae) 700 µm, and body width 425 µm. Cephalosome wider than long, length:width ratio=0.7:1. Prosome comprising cephalosome fully incorporating first pedigerous somite and 3 free somites reducing in size. Prosomal shield flattened ( Fig. 8a View FIGURE 8 ). Second and third pedigerous somites with lateral posterior margins slightly rounded. Fourth pedigerous somite, narrower than anterior somite and totally recovered. Prosome length:width ratio=1.1:1. Urosome ( Fig. 8b View FIGURE 8 ) cylindrical, 4-segmented, and 218 µm long. Genital double-somite length:width ratio=0.8:1. Lateral margin of genital double-somite ornamented with fringe of setules located posteriorly. Leg 6 represented by single seta. Both postgenital somites with lateral margins ornamented with setules. Prosome:urosome length ratio 2.0:1. Caudal rami elongate, 25 µm long with outer lateral margins and inner margins with setules, armed with 6 setae.

Antennule ( Fig. 8c View FIGURE 8 ) slender, 461 µm long (not including setae), and 21-segmented. Length of segments: 40, 12, 6, 10, 4, 8, 7, 11, 4, 3, 9, 12, 18, 18, 19, 21, 29, 30, 12, 13, and 11 µm long, respectively. Segmental homologies and armature as follows: 1(I)–2, 2(II)–2, 3(III)–1, 4(IV)–1, 5(V)–2, 6(VI)–0, 7(VII)–2, 8(VIII)–2, 9(IX–XII)–4, 10(XIII)–1, 11(XIV)–0, 12(XV)–0, 13(XVI)–2, 14(XVII)–2, 15(XVIII)–2, 16(XIX)–2, 17(XX)–1, 18(XXI)–1+ae, 19(XXII–XXIII)–2, 20(XXIV–XXV)–2 and 21(XXVI–XXVIII)–4. Aesthetasc 150 µm long. Setae on segments 1 and 2 distally bifid.

Antenna ( Fig. 8e View FIGURE 8 ) biramous 260 µm long, including terminal claw. Small unarmed coxa, 21 µm long; unarmed basis elongated, 69 µm long, and ornamented distally with row of setules. Exopod 1-segmented, 11 µm long, and bearing 2 apical slightly unequally-sized setae. Endopod 3-segmented, first segment 57 µm long, ornamented with row of setules on outer margin; second segment triangular-shaped, 11 µm long, armed with 2 naked setae; and third segment 19 µm long and with 2 naked setae located distally and subdistally, close to terminal claw, slightly curved distally, and measuring 83 µm long.

Oral cone ( Fig. 9a View FIGURE 9 ) short, 180 µm, reaching between the insertion of legs 1 and 2. Mandible ( Fig. 9b View FIGURE 9 ) comprising slender stylet, 169 µm long, bent distally at 1/3 of its length and tapering distally with serrated margin. Mandibular palp 2-segmented, measuring 26 and 13 µm long, respectively. Distal segment armed with 2 long and naked setae.

Maxillule ( Fig. 9c View FIGURE 9 ) bilobed; inner lobe 58 µm long, ornamented with long setules along outer margin and 4 long apical setae and a very small seta. Outer lobe 20 µm long, armed with 4 apical naked setae.

Maxilla ( Fig. 9d View FIGURE 9 ) with syncoxa measuring 91 µm long and slender curved claw 143 µm long, ornamented with row of spinules distally.

Maxilliped ( Fig. 9e View FIGURE 9 ) 5-segmented, 307 µm long, syncoxa 66 µm long, basis 85 µm long, ornamented with spinules on outer margin and tuft of setules on inner margin. Endopod 3-segmented, 11, 14, and 39 µm long, respectively, with armature formula (2,1,1+claw), measuring 73 µm long. All setae naked except the one unipinnated in the third segment.

Legs 1 to 4 ( Figs. 10a–d View FIGURE 10 ) biramous, with 3-segmented rami. Armature formula as follows, asterisk indicates broken setae:

Leg 1 ( Fig. 10a View FIGURE 10 ) with small tooth-like projections on distal margin of the second endopodal segment. Basis of leg 2 ( Fig. 10b View FIGURE 10 ) with row of spinules on outer margin. Coxa of leg 3 ( Fig. 10c View FIGURE 10 ) serrulated on inner margin. Basis of leg 4 ( Fig. 10d View FIGURE 10 ) with row of spinules on outer margin. Second endopodal segment of leg 4 with long tooth-like projection and proximal constriction. Legs 2 to 4 ( Fig. 10 View FIGURE 10 b-d) showing distinct projected process between rami, row of spinules on outer margin of exopodal segments, and on first endopodal segments, near the tooth-like projection of distal outer margins. Broken setae on leg 1 and leg 2 indicated by insertion points ( Fig. 10 View FIGURE 10 a-b).

Leg 5 ( Fig. 8b View FIGURE 8 ) protopod fused to the fifth pedigerous somite, exhibiting robust seta. Free exopodal segment with denticles on both margins, showing 3 setae distally.

Adult male: Unknown.

Etymology: The species name “ felipae ” is given in honor of Maria Felipa, a black fisherwoman, descendant of enslaved people, who led a group of hundreds of Brazilians civilians to defend Itaparica Island during the Brazilian Independence War. Her name was included in the book of the Heroes and Heroines of the Country.

Remarks: Asterocheres felipae sp. nov. also exhibits a 21-segmented antennule and 2-segmented mandibular palp; however, it shows 5-segmented maxilliped, differing from A. quiteriae sp. nov. This new species shares these features with 17 congeners: A. astroidicola Conradi, Bandera & López-González, 2006 ; A. boecki ( Brady, 1880) ; A. complexus Stock, 1960 ; A. corneliae Schirl, 1973 ; A. ellisi Hamond, 1968 ; A. eugenioi Bandera & Conradi, 2014 ; A. hirsutu s Bandera, Conradi & López-González, 2005; A. hoi Bandera & Conradi, 2013 ; A. jeanyeatmanae Yeatman, 1970 ; A. latus ( Brady, 1872) ; A. sarsi Bandera & Conradi, 2009 ; A. stimulans Giesbrecht, 1897 ; A. suberitis Giesbrecht, 1897 ; A. tarifensis Conradi & Bandera, 2013 ; A. tenerus Hansen, 1923 ; A. tenuicornis Brady, 1910 ; and A. urabensis Kim, 2004 .

Asterocheres felipae sp. nov. has the oral cone reaching closely to the second leg intercoxal plate and can be distinguished from A. complexus View in CoL , A. jeanyeatmanae View in CoL , A. suberites , and A. tarifensis View in CoL whose siphon does not reach beyond the maxilliped ( Giesbrecht 1897; Yeatman 1970; Stock 1960; Conradi & Bandera 2013).

The new species is easily differentiated from A. astroidicola View in CoL , A. boecki View in CoL , A. eugenioi View in CoL , A. hirsutus View in CoL , A. hoi View in CoL , A. sarsi View in CoL , A. tenerus View in CoL , and A. urabensis View in CoL due to antenna armature. This new species has only two apical, slightly unequally-sized setae, while these species have three setae on the exopodal segment of the antenna. In addition, these species have an aesthetasc-like element in the maxillary syncoxa ( Brady 1880; Kim 2004b; Bandera et al. 2005; Conradi et al. 2006; Bandera & Conradi 2009a; 2013; 2014), which is absent in the new species.

Asterocheres felipae sp. nov. has the caudal rami as long as wide, while A. tenuicornis View in CoL has the caudal rami 6 times longer than wide, and 2.5 times longer than wide in A. latus View in CoL ( Brady 1872; 1910; Eiselt 1965; Bandera & Conradi 2009a).

The new species exhibits a small antennal exopod with two slightly unequally-sized setae longer than the exopod itself, while A. ellisi View in CoL has an elongated exopod with a vestigial lateral seta and a long apical seta.Additionally, A. felipae sp. nov. exhibits the first endopodal segment of the antenna four times longer than wide, with the outer margin ornamented with a row of setules, while A. ellisi View in CoL has the first endopodal segment 2.6x longer than wide, and with only two setules distally ( Hamond 1968; Bandera & Conradi 2009b). Finally, the two setae exhibited by A. felipae sp. nov. on the second endopodal segment of the antenna are a unique feature of the species among its Asterocheres View in CoL congeners.