Description of a new species of Dolicholana Bruce, 1986 (Crustacea: Isopoda: Cirolanidae) and a redescription of Dolicholana porcellana (Barnard, 1936) comb. nov.

Abstract

Dolicholana enigma sp. nov. is described from material collected from mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and the Strait of Malacca. Cirolana porcellana Barnard is redescribed from material collected close to the original type locality, reported from additional localities in the Bay of Bengal and the Gulf of Thailand, and transferred to Dolicholana Bruce, 1986. Comparison of these species to the type species (D. elongata (Milne Edwards)), of this previously monotypic genus and to other taxa, indicates that the morphology of the frontal lamina is an unambiguous putative synapomorphy defining Dolicholana. Additional characters, possibly representing generic synapomorphies, are also noted and characters which are normally invariable at the generic level but which vary between the three species are commented on. It is concluded that the placement of species within Dolicholana is provisional until a robust and comprehensive phylogenetic analysis of the Cirolanidae is available.

Keywords:

• Crustacea Isopoda Cirolanidae Dolicholana Cirolana Taxonomy Scavenger