Pseudonototanais Lang 1973

Genus Pseudonototanais Lang, 1973

Diagnosis. (Modified after Lang 1973; Sieg 1980). Leptocheliid. Male: Antennular peduncle with two apparent articles (articles 2 and 3 fused?); aesthetascs on apparent flagellar articles 1 to 3, article-1 elongate with proximal and distal clusters of aesthetascs (see Fig. 8 I). Chela complexly chelate with face of propodus greatly expanded, about as deep as long with wide gap between dactylus and downwardly directed tip of fixed finger (Fig. 9 D); merus extending ventrally to near proximal margin of propodus (Fig. 9 D). Uropod relatively short with three endopodal articles (see Fig. 8 B). Female: Antenna having article-2 with thorn-seta on disto-dorsal margin; article-3 having disto-dorsal margin with narrow spiniform seta (distally directed process absent). Maxilliped basis with two pairs of long simple setae near distal margin; endite with simple seta (reaching to distal region of palp article-2) and four papilliform tubercles on distal margin. Uropods larger and longer than in male; endopod having three or four articles, if present fourth article small; exopod small, uni- or bi-articulated.

Type species: Pseudonototanais werthi (Vanhöffen, 1914).

Other species: P. modestus Kussakin & Tzareva 1972; (?) P. bransfieldensis Sieg, 1986.

Remarks. As defined herein, the genus Pseudonototanais is known only from the cold waters of the Southern Hemisphere (see Table 1). As alluded to earlier, the generic status of P. bransfieldensis remains clouded since the female appears to have some important characters in common with the genus Paratanais (G. Bird, per. comm. 2013); a clearer understanding of its systematic position awaits the discovery of the male. Pending further study this species, with reservations, is still tentatively retained within Pseudonototanais.

Pseudonototanais werthi can be distinguished from the former subgenus Makassaritanais by the degree of fusion in the antennular peduncle of the male (see Fig. 8 I; 8K −L, respectively) and the distinctive short, triarticulated male uropodal endopod (Fig. 8 B). The female of Pseudonototanais differs from that of Makassaritanais by its uropodal endopod having the first article distinctly larger and longer than the last. The presence of a biarticulate antennular peduncle in P. werthi is rare within the Leptocheliidae with Konarus cheiris Bamber, 2006 being only other known member of the family to have this character. A somewhat similar condition, however, exists for some of the males within the Heterotanoididae Bird, 2012 (see Bird 2012).