Torquella Błażewicz-Paszkowycz 2007, n. gen.

Genus: Torquella n. gen.

Diagnosis: Body long, about 6–7 times as long as wide. Pleon short, less than 20 % of total body length. Pereonite-1 anterior edge is deeply concave. Mandible molar process with well-calcified and crenulated edge, occasionally with teeth. Maxilliped basis with seta at least as long as three-quarter of endites; endite distal margin with two tubercles and usually one seta. Cheliped basis posterior margin separated from pereonite-1 by gap. Chela slender, little longer than cheliped carpus. Pereopods 2 and 3 with spiniform seta on carpus and with long seta on propodus; occasionally with rod setae. Pereopods 4–6 unguis simple, with row of spines ventrally; prickly tubercles large (half as long as carpus), surrounded by row of spines. Uropod rami two-articled; exopod usually reaching three-quarters of endopod; exopod distal article twice as long as proximal article.

Male: Unknown.

Etymology: Torquis (Latin) = collar. The name reflects the collar-like character of the pereonite-1.

Gender of generic name: Feminine.

Type species: Typhlotanais longisetosus Kudinova-Pasternak, 1990.

Species included: Torquella (= Typhlotanais) angularis (Kudinova-Pasternak, 1966); T. (= Typhlotanais) elegans (Kudinova-Pasternak, 1978); T. (= Typhlotanais) grandis (Hansen, 1913); T. (= Typhlotanais) longisetosa; T. (= Typhlotanais) parangularis (Kudinova-Pasternak, 1975); T. (= Typhlotanais) rotundirostris (Lang, 1970); T. eltaninae n. sp.; T. galatheae n. sp.

Remarks: The genus is established to designate species previously included in Typhlotanais sensu lato sharing the cluster of characters listed in diagnosis above. The collar-shape of pereonite-1, characteristic for Torquella, can be observed (to some extent) in T. variabilis Hansen, 1913; however, that species has prickly tubercles that are not surrounded by rows of spines and the uropod exopod is a little longer than the endopod. Again, a collar-shape of pereonite-1 can be observed in the genus Typhlamia (= Typhlotanais) but it differs in having small prickly tubercles and an antennule twice as long as the carapace. Prickly tubercles surrounded by spines characteristic for Torquella occur also in pereopods 4–6 of Peraeospinosus (see Błażewicz-Paszkowycz, 2005). Except for this single feature no other similarity between Torquella n. gen. and Peraeospinosus Sieg, 1986 can be observed.