A new species of Metacirolana Kussakin, 1979 (Crustacea: Isopoda: Cirolanidae) from the coral reefs of Viti Livu, Fiji, with a revised diagnosis to the genus

ABSTRACT

Metacirolana nicosmiti sp. nov. is described from coral reefs at Viti Lifu, Fiji. The species is characterized by a unique ornamentation of prominent ridges on the head forming a ‘diamond’ shape, three longitudinal ridges on the pleotelson and a broad subtruncate pleotelson posterior margin (among other characters). A revised genus diagnosis is given to Metacirolana, together with discussion of the characters of the ‘Eurydicinae’, that is those cirolanid genera with a blade-like clypeus. We conclude that while the subfamilies of the Cirolanidae remain phylogenetically untested the characters that they present are relevant in assessing generic characters within the family and are useful in facilitating the identification of genera.

http://zoobank.org:pub:9EAC6EF8-3882-480C-BE7B-48BFDB35B40A

KEYWORDS:

• Cirolanidae
• coral reefs
• Eurydicinae
• Metacirolana
• taxonomy
• western Pacific

Acknowledgements

I thank Dr Sammy de Grave, Oxford University Zoological Museum for the opportunity to participate in this expedition, funded from the UK Millennium Commission, through the Oxford University Museum of Natural History, UK. Mr Sunia Lavuki, USP. This is NWU-Water Research Group contribution number 522.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).