Coxicerberus nunezi (Coineau & Botosaneanu, 1973)

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Suggested Common Name: Magnificent Beach-Cerberus
Etymology: After Dr. A. Núñez Jiménez, a member of the expedition that discovered this species. Common name alludes to the suggested common name of C. mirabilis, which is fairly similar to this species.
Taxonomic History: Microcerberus nunezi Coineau & Botosaneanu, 1973; Coxicerberus nunezi Wägele, Voelz & Vaun McArthur, 1995
Size Range: to 1.036mm
Description: (modified from Coineau & Botosaneanu, 1973) Antenna 1 5-segmented, segments 1-2 robust, segment 1 slightly longer than segment 2 with a short simple seta and a short plumose seta, segment 2 with 4 plumose setae, 1 very long, segments 3-5 much narrower than segments 1-3, segment 5 with 1 medal seta, apically with 3 simple setae, 1 plumose seta and an aesthetasc. Antenna 2 peduncle 6-segmented, segment 1 small, short, segment 2 short with distomedial strong spine, segment 3 robust, long, with a strong medial tooth and 2 prominent lateral setae set closely together, segment 4 short, segment 5-6 long, segment 6 with a long pinnate distolateral seta; flagellum 5-segmented, segments 3-5 short. Mandible incisor 4-cuspid; lacinia 4-cuspid; molar long, digitiform, tapering, with an apical seta. Maxilliped basis with a medial digitiform lobe with a short apical spine; palp segment 1 lacking setae, segment 2 with 2 medial setae, segment 3-4 with 1 medial setae, segment 5 with a medial row of setae, 2 prominent apical spines and a distolateral seta. Pereopods 1-7 basis with 1 dorsal tooth. Pereopod 1 subchelate; dactyl ventrally with row of minute setae, subdistally with 2 bifid spines and 3 setae, claw with basal seta; propus swollen basally, palmar margin with low proximal process with 2 prominent serrated apical spines, proximal spine shorter, bifid, distal spine acute with a serrated distal margin, more distal areas of palm with 2 setae and 3 smaller serrated spines; carpus palmar process blunt with 2 apical setae and 3 minute lateral setae and 2 bands of cilia; merus rounded with 2 setae; ischium slightly longer than wide with 1 minute seta; basis swollen with 1 ventral seta. Pereopods 2-7 dactyl 2-clawed; propus with distal brush of setae, including plumose setae; carpus elongate with subdistal dorsal tooth and a slightly more distal long plumose seta; merus with distodorsal lobe; ischium with 1 simple dorsal seta; basis with 1 subterminal ventral seta. Pereonites 2-4 medial lobes medially rounded, lateral corner produced into an acute tooth, distolateral margin with 1 seta; lateral lobes elongate, somewhat wide (compared to C. mirabilis), medial tooth present. Pereopods 2-4 dactyl with 2 subdistal setae; merus distodorsal lobe with apical seta; ischium with 1-2 plumose dorsal setae. Pereopods 4-5 merus with ventromedial seta. Pereopods 5-7 dactyl with 1 subdistal seta; propus with ventral spine; carpus with distomerus distodorsal lobe with an acute apical tooth. Pereopods 6-7 merus with distovental short seta. Pereopods 7 ischium with 1-2 plumose. ♂ pleopod 2 basis stocky, a little longer than wide; exopod small, conical, with short subapical seta; endopod elongate, lateral lobe stocky, rounded, margins pinched slightly, lateral lamella low, inconspicuous, proximoapical lobe small, short, acute, distoapical lobe blunt, fairly wide, poorly separated from medial lobe, medial lobe longer and narrower than apical lobe, tip more acute, cannula wide, blocky, digitiform, distomedially concave, tip truncate, medial lamella set at base of lateral lobe. Pleopod 3 thin, roughly triangular, distally smooth, with seta placed midway up segment; protopod very short. Pleopod 4 biramous. Uropod protopod as wide as long with 1 lateral and 3 apical setae; exopod minute with 2 distal setae; exopod conical, about 1.5x longer than basis, with 3 subapical plumose setae (1 very short) and a tuft of distal setae including 1 plumose setae.
Geographic Range: Reported at Playa Baracoa in Oriente (SE Cuba) and Playa Rancho Luna near Cienfuegos (W Cuba). Probably intertidal.
Notes: This species is most similar to C. mirabilis, which differs mainly in the proportions on the ♂ pleopod 2 (see the key for more details).

Sources

Coineau, N. & Botosaneanu, L. (1973). Isopodes interstitiels de Cuba. In Resultats des Expeditions Biospeologiques Cubano-Roumaines a Cuba. Bucarest: Academy of the Socialist Republic of Roumania, 191-222.

Wägele, J. W., Voelz, N. J., & Vaun McArthur, J. (1995). Older than the Atlantic Ocean: discovery of a fresh-water Microcerberus (Isopoda) in North America and erection of Coxicerberus, new genus. Journal of Crustacean Biology, 15(4):733-745.

Published: Feb 15, 2023