Y-Nauplii (Crustacea, Thecostraca, Facetotecta) from coastal waters of the Salento Peninsula (south eastern Italy, Mediterranean Sea) with descriptions of four new species

Abstract

A collection (102 specimens of four different types) of Facetotecta nauplii (“Y-nauplii”) is described. It derives from different zooplankton samples collected between 1996 and 2004 at seven sites around the Salento Peninsula, south eastern Italy, the Mediterranean Sea. The collection sites (rocky coasts, submerged grottoes, one brackish water basin) are characterized by different salinity and bottom conditions. This is the first report of F. nauplii from a coastal brackish water pond. The nauplii belonged to types I, IV, VII, and IX of the current informal classification. This is the first report of types I, VII, and IX from the Mediterranean Sea. Types VII and IX are new also for Europe. Given the lack of the cypris-larva stage in this collection, the nauplius morphology is here proposed as valid to identify species. Some morphological features of the specimens presented here are not shared with any nauplius described from other parts of the world. On the basis of these differences four new species have been described (in alphabetic order: Hansenocaris corvinae, H. leucadea, H. mediterranea, H. salentina).

Keywords:

• Hansenocaris corvinae
• H. leucadea
• H. mediterranea
• H. salentina
• Y-nauplius
• Facetotecta
• Mediterranean Sea

The study has been funded by FIRB program RBAU012KXA. Dr Mark Grygier (Lake Biwa Museum, Japan) patiently improved the ms, gave precious suggestions, furnished with bibliografic material, and with translation of Japanese texts. Prof. José Bresciani (Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University, Denmark) gave its kind, implicit encouragement to start with the organization of the present report. Jürgen Schmich (University of Lecce, Italy) helped with translation of German papers. P. Marasco, S. Moscatello, A. C. Pati, I. Vaglio (University of Lecce, Italy) saved all nauplii they found for me. The final version of the paper is also due to appreciable criticisms from Referees who stimulated a deep and constructive discussion.

Notes

Published in collaboration with the University of Bergen and the Institute of Marine Research, Norway, and the Marine Biological Laboratory, University of Copenhagen, Denmark