Microcharon Boyko, 2024, n. gen.

Microcharon Karaman, 1934 = Microcharon n. gen. [Lepidocharontidae]

Remarks: Microcharon Karaman, 1934 is unavailable (per ICZN Article 67.4.1) because Karaman (1933) included two species in the genus but did not designate a type species. Galassi et al. (2016: 16) indicated that a “proposition” to the ICZN was needed to validate the name, because the genus was introduced after 1931 and ICZN Article 69.1 allowing subsequent designation of the type species does not apply, but none has been submitted as far as is known. Kim et al. (2017) discussed Microcharon and provided a genus diagnosis as well as specifying the type species as “ Microcharon stygius (Karaman, 1933)” (= Microparasellus stygius Karaman, 1933). However, by crediting the genus to Karaman, there was no explicit intent (sensu ICZN Article 16.1) to establish the name as new and, as such, the name cannot be credited to Kim et al. (2017) as well.

In order to make the name available, Microcharon is herein explicitly proposed as a new genus (etymology: micro from the Greek μικρό (small) + Charon, referring to the mythological Greek ferryman of Hades), with Microparasellus stygius Karaman, 1933 as the type species, by present designation; gender masculine. The generic diagnosis is: body cylindrical; rostrum weakly developed or absent; antennula of five or six articles; antennal flagellum longer than podomere, pereonites rectangular in dorsal view, with subparallel lateral margins; free pleonite as wide as preonite 7; pereopodal coxal plate hardly discernible, incorporated to sternite body wall; distolateral lobe of male pleopod 1 with folded hyaline lamella running parallel to lateral margin; female operculum as long as pleotelson, with two or four apical setae; well-developed uropods with slender endopod and exopod (after Kim et al., 2017). There are 70 species and four subspecies (six if the nominotypical subspecies are included) currently placed in the genus (see Boyko et al., 2024), although all are new combinations with the newly validated genus name (Table 1). Microcharon is now placed in Lepidocharontidae Galassi & Bruce in Galassi, Bruce, Fiasca & Dole-Olivier, 2016 (Galassi et al., 2016).

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