First record of the genus Atlantistylis Reyss, 1975 (Crustacea: Cumacea) from the North Atlantic, with the description of a new species

Abstract

A new species of the genus Atlantistylis Reyss, 1975 (Diastylidae) is described from the Atlantic Frontier Margin (North‐East Atlantic). This is the first record of the genus Atlantistylis from the North Atlantic. The new species Atlantistylis borealis can be recognized by the presence of spines on the frontal and lateral lobes of the carapace combined with their absence on the pereon and pleon; the first pereopods are very long. The small telson with two small apical acuminate setae and the absence of pleopods in the male are characteristic of the genus.

Keywords:

• Atlantistylis
• Crustacea
• North Atlantic

Acknowledgements

This work was funded by United Kingdom Offshore Operators Association (UKOOA) as part of the “AFEN Biodiversity Studies” (contract no. AMJIG/00/07). We wish to thank Dr J. Hartley (Hartley Anderson Ltd, for UKOOA) and Prof. J. Gage (SAMS) for their support and encouragement. We also wish to thank Susan Chambers and Fiona Ward (NMS) for the loan of the AFEN and White Zone samples, and Dr M. Thurston (Southampton Oceanographic Centre, George Deacon Division) for the loan of the IOS samples. Thanks also to the University of Liverpool (Port Erin Marine Laboratory and the Centre for Marine and Coastal Studies) for use of facilities.