Melita panda Tomikawa, Yamato & Ariyama, 2024

54. Melita panda Tomikawa, Yamato & Ariyama, 2024 View in CoL

ȃṉḁƞųăNjẹ (ṵÿ) ** ( Figs. 5 - 8 View Fig View Fig View Fig )

Melita panda Tomikawa, Yamato & Ariyama, 2024: 270 View in CoL View Cited Treatment , figs. 1 - 6.

Material examined. 92 males, 79 females ( DKUAMP20 2406), KIOST station, Buk-myeon , Ulleung-gun, Gyeongsangbuk-do, Korea, 37°31 ʹ 24 ʺ N, 130°48 ʹ 52 ʺ E, Y.H. Kim, by sieving, 23 August 2023 GoogleMaps .

Description. Male (MABIK CR00257940): Body ( Figs. View Fig

5A, 6A View Fig ) 7.1 mm long, dorsally smooth; head subquadrate, subequal to pereonites 1 - 2 combined, lateral cephalic lobe subrounded; eye round, black; epimeral plates 1 - 3 ( Fig. 6D View Fig ) dorsally smooth, slightly pointed posteroventrally; epimeral plate 3 with 4 small robust setae ventrally.

Antenna 1 ( Fig. 6B View Fig ) elongate, 0.68 × body; peduncular article 1 subrectangular, with 3 robust setae and 3 simple setae ventrally; peduncular article 2 slender, with cluster of setae and 6 small robust setae ventrally; peduncular article 3 short, with cluster of setae on dorsal and ventral margins; length ratio of peduncular articles 1 - 3 = 1.00: 2.63: 0.55; flagellum 30-articulate, much longer than peduncle; accessory flagellum present, short, 4-articulate.

Antenna 2 ( Fig. 6C View Fig ) length 0.63 × antenna 1; peduncular article 3 short, with 2 robust setae ventrodistally; peduncular articles 4 - 5 slender, rectangular, ventrally setose; length ratio of peduncular articles 3 - 5 = 1.00: 2.30: 2.30; flagellum 9-articulate, shorter than peduncular articles 4 - 5 combined.

Upper lip ( Fig. 6E View Fig ) rounded and covered with patch of pubescence apically.

Lower lip ( Fig. 6F View Fig ) well developed, inner and outer lobes rounded with patch of pubescence apically, outer lobe with row of setules medially, mandibular lobes produced.

Left mandible ( Fig. 6G View Fig ), incisor with 4 teeth; lacinia mobilis with 4 blunt teeth; between molar and lacinia mobilis with 7 accessory setal row; molar triturative, with pappose seta; palp 3-articulate; article 1 short, unarmed; article 2 with 8 simple setae; article 3 slender, with 10 lateral and 5 distal simple setae; length ratio of articles 1 - 3 = 1.00: 3.01: 4.15.

Right mandible ( Fig. 6H View Fig ) similar to left one, except with 6 accessory setal row.

Maxilla 1 ( Fig. 6I View Fig ), inner plate small, with 7 plumose setae apically; outer plate with 9 setal-teeth; palp biarticulate, proximal article with 2 setae laterodistally, distal article expanded, with 4 simple setae and 10 robust setae apically.

Maxilla 2 ( Fig. 6J View Fig ), inner plate smaller than outer plate, with row of simple and unipectinate setae; outer plate with row of simple setae apically.

Maxilliped ( Fig. 6K View Fig ), inner plate subrectangular, about half length of outer plate, with 9 plumose setae medially, 2 conical robust setae and 8 plumose setae apically; outer plate broad, with a row of conical teeth medially, 5 plumose setae apically; palp 4-articulate, article 1 subquadrate; article 2 subrectangular, with unequal simple setae exteriorly; article 3 broadening distally, apex with unequal simple setae and pubescence; article 4 slender, falcate, with numerous setules medially and nail on apex; length ratio of articles 1 - 4 = 1.00: 3.01: 2.00: 1.29.

Gnathopod 1 ( Fig. 7A View Fig ) subchelate; coxa trapezoidal, gradually widening distally, with a row of setules ventrally; basis subrectangular, narrowing proximally, with row of long setae anteriorly and 5 long setae posteriorly; merus 1.26 × ischium, densely pubescent ventrally; carpus 1.41 × propodus, ventral margin serrate, with clusters of pectinate setae; propodus ( Fig. 7B View Fig ) subovate, anterodistal hood deeply produced ventrodistally, with 1 mediodistal robust seta near the hood, and 3 robust setae on ventral margin; palm with two protuberances; dactylus small, stout, inner margin with small protuberances.

Gnathopod 2 ( Fig. 7C View Fig ) subchelate; coxa, basis, and ischium similar to those of gnathopod 1; merus 1.14 × ischium, distoventral corner acutely produced; carpus subtriangular, with pectinate setae and numerous pubescence ventrally; propodus large, subquadrate, width 0.60 × length, dorsal portion with 12 clusters of simple setae, medial and ventral portions with unequal simple setae; palm oblique, with a row of tiny robust setae; dactylus falcate, when folded, located on the medial surface of propodus.

Pereopod 3 ( Fig. 7D View Fig ), coxa subrectangular, ventral margin with a row of setules; basis curved proximally; merus subrectangular, broader than carpus; carpus 0.86 × merus, anterior and posterior margins with robust setae; propodus subrectangular, slender, subequal to carpus, posterior margin with row of robust setae; dactylus short, falcate,

with a nail.

Pereopod 4 ( Fig. 7E View Fig ) similar to pereopod 3, but coxa broader and excavate posteroproximally.

A B E D C F G H

Pereopod 5 ( Fig. 7F View Fig ), coxa broader than long, bilobate, anterior lobe slightly protruding downward; basis subovate, with a row of robust setae on anterior margin, row of setules on posterior margin; merus narrowing proximally, 0.91 × carpus; propodus slender, rectangular, 1.12 × carpus, with a row of robust setae on anterior and posterior margins.

Pereopod 6 ( Fig. 7G View Fig ) similar to pereopod 5, but coxa 6 smaller than coxa 5, each article longer than those of pereopod 5.

Pereopod 7 ( Fig. 7H View Fig ), similar to pereopod 6, but coxa small, unilobate.

Uropod 1 ( Fig. 8A), peduncle subrectangular, 1.29 × outer ramus, with 12 dorsolateral, 4 dorsomedial, 1 basofacial, and 1 inter-ramal robust setae distally; outer ramus subequal to inner ramus, with 4 dorsal and 4 apical robust setae; inner ramus with 4 dorsal and 4 apical robust setae.

Uropod 2 ( Fig. 8B), peduncle subrectangular, 1.04 × outer ramus, with 8 dorsolateral and 3 dorsomedial robust setae; outer ramus 0.91 × inner ramus, with 6 dorsal and 4 apical robust setae; inner ramus with 5 dorsal and 4 apical robust setae.

Uropod 3 ( Fig. 8C), peduncle short, 0.46 × outer ramus; outer ramus elongate, uni-articulate, both margins with robust setae; inner ramus scale-like, minute, 0.20 × outer ramus, with 5 robust setae apically.

Telson ( Fig. 8D) thin, deeply cleft; apical portion point- ed, each lobe with 1 medial and 3 lateral, and 4 subapical robust setae.

Female (DKUAMP202406): Body ( Figs. 5B View Fig , 8E) about 6.4 mm long; similar to male in shape but, gnathopod 2 smaller and coxa 6 strongly hooked.

Gnathopod 1 ( Fig. 8F) similar to that of male but each article shorter than those of male; propodus small, without anterodistal hood and mediodistal robust seta; palm oblique.

Gnathopod 2 ( Fig. 8G) much smaller than male, propodus small, ovate, subequal to carpus.

Coxa 6 ( Fig. 8H) bilobate, anterior lobe elongate and protruding downward, truncate distally, strongly hooked, subapical portion with small projection.

Remarks. The newly recorded species Melita panda is similar to M. bingoensis , M. koreana , and M. nagatai in having the following features: 1) gnathopod 2, propodus subrectangular; 2) uropod 3, outer ramus unarticulated. However, M. panda is distinguished from its congeners based upon the following features (different characters of M. bingoensis , M. koreana , and M. nagatai in brackets): 1) gnathopod 1, carpus ventral margin serrate (vs. smooth in M. bingoensis , M. koreana , and M. nagatai ); 2) gnathopod 1, anterodistal hood of propodus deeply produced ventrodistally (not produced ventrodistally in M. bingoensis , M. koreana , and M. nagatai ); 3) gnathopod 1, propodus with 1 anterodistal robust seta near the hood (vs. without M. bingoensis , M. koreana , and M. nagatai ); 4) epimeral plates 1 - 3 posteroventral corners notched (vs. produced in M. bingoensis and M. koreana ); 5) coxa 6, anterior lobe elongated, strongly hooked, apex with small projection in female (vs. extended posteriorly, apex without projection in M. bingoensis , apex without projection in M. koreana , and bearing strong projection in M. nagatai ). Our specimens are accorded with original description of Tomikawa et al. (2024).

Distribution. Korea (Ulleungdo Island), Japan.