Paraleptognathia benguela Guerrero-Kommritz 2004, n. sp.

Paraleptognathia benguela n. sp. (Figs 22, 23)

Material examined: 18 individuals. Holotype ZMH K­40618 RV ”Meteor” 48 St. 340, two females. Paratypes ZMB 27520, RV ”Meteor” 48 St. 346, three females, ZMUC CRU 3961 RV ”Meteor” 48 St. 325, two females, ZMH K­40619 RV ”Meteor” 48 St. 340, two females, ZMH K­40620 RV ”Meteor” 48 St. 345, one female, ZMH K­40621 RV ”Meteor” 48 St. 344, three females, ZMH K­40622 RV ”Meteor” 48 St. 340, one juvenile male, ZMH K­40623 RV ”Meteor” 48 St. 348, one female, ZMH K­40624 RV ”Meteor” 48 St. 325, one female, ZMH K­40625 RV ”Meteor” 48 St. 338, one female, ZMH K­ 40626 RV ”Meteor” 48 St. 348, one female, ZMH K­40627 RV ”Meteor” 48 St. 345, one female.

Diagnosis: Carpal shield well developed. Pereopod 1, 2, 3 with spinules on merus, carpus and propodus.

Description: non­ovigerous female. Body (Fig. 22a, b): long, about 7.3 times longer than broad. Body length 1.5 to 4.0 mm. Cephalothorax (Fig. 22a, b): about 1.3 times longer than broad. Pereon (Fig. 22a, b): pereonite 1 as long as pereonite 6; pereonite 5 as long as pereonite 2 and longer than 6, pereonite 4 longer than 2 and shorter than 3; pereonite 3 longest. Pleon (Fig. 22a, b): pleonites of equal length, pleotelson with pointed apex.

Antennule (Fig. 22c): article 1 longest, with one long and three short setae; article 2 with one long simple and two short simple setae; article 3 shortest, with two terminal simple setae; article 4 with five terminal setae.

Antenna (Fig. 22d): article 1 short, semifused to cephalothorax; article 2 as long as wide, with one short spiniform seta dorsally; article 3 with one simple distal seta; article 4 longest, with two distal simple long, two distal short and one short simple setae at midlength; article 5 with one simple long distal seta; article 6 shortest, with five terminal simple setae.

Labrum (Fig. 23d): hood­shaped, with row of setules on lateral margins.

Mandible (Fig. 23c): well calcified; pars molaris bent ventrally; lacinia mobilis spiniform and blunt.

Maxillula (Fig. 23a): endite with three rows of ventral setules, four rows of dorsal setules, with one simple and eight pinnate terminal spiniform setae.

Maxilla (Fig. 23f): rectangular, with a row of setules on distal edge.

Labium (Fig. 23e): composed of two triangular lobes with row of setules at distal edge.

Maxilliped (Fig. 23g): endites not fused, with a distal tubercle, basis tong­shaped.

Epignath (Fig. 23b): with no special features.

Cheliped (Fig. 22g): basis as long as carpus; merus with ventral simple seta; carpus with a ventral and a dorsal simple setae; carpal shield well developed, about one third of carpus; propodus smooth, with two teeth at cutting edge; dactylus smooth.

Pereopod 1 (Fig. 22h): coxa naked; basis twice as long as broad, with two simple setae; ischium short, with one simple seta; merus with a ventral and a dorsal row of spinules and one spiniform seta; carpus as long as merus, with a ventral and a dorsal row of spinules, and two spiniform setae; propodus with ventral and dorsal row of spinules, one terminal spine and terminal short spiniform seta; dactylus as long as propodus.

Pereopod 2 (Fig. 22i): as pereopod 1, except basis naked, merus and propodus lack dorsal rows of spinules, carpus with three spiniform setae.

Pereopod 3 (Fig. 22j): as pereopod 2, except carpus lacks dorsal rows of spinules, and only two spiniform setae.

Pereopod 4 (Fig. 22k): basis three times as long as broad, naked; ischium short, with one simple seta; merus with two spiniform setae; carpus with three spiniform setae; propodus with two terminal spiniform setae; dactylus with no special features.

Pereopod 5 (Fig. 22l): as pereopod 4, except basis with three simple setae; merus with two spiniform setae, propodus with three terminal spiniform setae, dactylus with larger spinules as in pereopod 4 and 6.

Pereopod 6 (Fig. 22m): as pereopod 4, except propodus with four terminal spiniform setae.

Pleopods (Fig. 22f): exopod with eight simple long setae, endopod with seven simple long setae.

Uropods (Fig. 22e): exopod half the length of article 1 of endopod. Exopod article 1 with one simple seta; article 2 with one terminal simple seta. Article 1 of endopod with two simple setae; article 2 with six terminal setae.

Juvenile males body length 3.32 mm.

Mancas up to 1.5 mm.

Type locality: South Atlantic Ocean, Angola Basin, RV ”Meteor” 48 St. 340 18° 77.3´S 04° 41.2´E– 18° 19.4´S 04° 41.9´E, 5395 m.

Etymology: the name refers to the Benguela Current that flows on top of the Angola Basin.

Distribution: South Atlantic Ocean, Angola Basin.

Remarks: this species resembles P. bacescui but the presence of spinules on the merus and carpus of P1 to P3 on P. benguela distinguish them. A detailed analysis of the type of P. bacescui is needed to define these two species more properly.