Epimeria (Drakepimeria) pyrodrakon d'Acoz & Verheye 2017, subgen. et sp. nov.

Epimeria (Drakepimeria) pyrodrakon subgen. et sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: BC42CFAC-0277-4B3D-B6FD-06A9C2020D25

Figs 83–89

Epimeria macrodonta – Coleman 2007: 43, in part, fig. 21a–b, not colour plate 1d (= E. anguloce sp. nov.).

‘ Clade A similis / macrodonta complex - MA4’ – Verheye et al. 2016a, supplement: 2 (online).

non Epimeria macrodonta Walker, 1906: 16.

Etymology

From the Greek Πυρρὸς, flame-coloured, yellowish red; and δράκων, dragon. The name alludes to the Great Red Dragon of the Book of Revelation, because its highly intricate ornamentation is not unlike that of a dragon and its colour accurately matches with the description given by John the Apostle. The Book of Revelation (12.3) indeed states: “καὶ ὤφθη ἄλλο σημεῖον ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ, καὶ ἰδοὺ δράκων πυρρὸς μέγας, ἔχων κεφαλὰς ἑπτὰ καὶ κέρατα δέκα καὶ ἐπὶ τὰς κεφαλὰς αὐτοῦ ἑπτὰ διαδήματα”, which is translated as follows in the Holman Christian Standard Bible: “Then another sign appeared in heaven: There was a great fiery red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads were seven diadems”. The name is a noun in apposition.

Type material

Holotype

RV Polarstern cruises:

SOUTHERN OCEAN: ♀, in absolute alcohol, cruise PS81, ANT-XXIX/3, stn 193-8, Bransfield Strait, 62°43.73ʹ S, 57°29.04ʹ W to 62°43.80ʹ S, 57°29.40ʹ W, 428–431 m, Agassiz trawl, 23 Feb 2013, coll. C. d’Udekem d’Acoz and M. Verheye (RBINS, INV. 132973) [extraction N1; Genbank nr, 28S: KU759677].

Paratypes

RV Polarstern cruises:

SOUTHERN OCEAN: 2 specs, cruise PS06, ANT-III/3, stn 348, eastern Weddell Sea, 72°50ʹ S, 19°23ʹ W, 490 m, bottom trawl, 20 Feb. 1985, coll. J. Plötz (RBINS, INV. 132724); 1 spec., cruise PS14, ANT-VII/4, EPOS leg 3, stn 230, eastern Weddell Sea, 75°14.2ʹ S, 26°59.4ʹ W to 75°14.5ʹ S, 26°59.9ʹ W, 270–275 m, Agassiz trawl, 30 Jan. 1989, coll. C. De Broyer (RBINS, INV. 132722); 2 specs, kept on board in aquarium, cruise PS39, ANT-XIII/3, EASIZ I, stn 8, AGT 2, eastern Weddell Sea, 71°18.70ʹ S, 12°17.10ʹ W to 71°18.45ʹ S, 12°16.30ʹ W, 170–174 m, 9 Feb. 1996, coll. C. De Broyer and G. Chapelle (RBINS, INV. 132685); 1 spec., kept on board in aquarium, cruise PS39, ANT-XIII/3, EASIZ I, stn 8, AGT 2, eastern Weddell Sea, 71°18.70ʹ S, 12°17.10ʹ W to 71°18.45ʹ S, 12°16.30ʹ W, 170–174 m, 9 Feb. 1996, coll. C. De Broyer and G. Chapelle (MNHN-IU-2014-7331, removed from RBINS, INV. 132685); 1 spec. (used for gut content analysis and previously misidentified as E. macrodonta), cruise PS39, ANT-XIII/3, EASIZ I, stn 6, AGT 1, eastern Weddell Sea, 71°31.80ʹ S, 13°34.50ʹ W to 71°31.86ʹ S, 13°35.50ʹ W, 254–261 m, Agassiz trawl, 8 Jan. 1996, coll. C. De Broyer and G. Chapelle (RBINS, INV. 132681); 4 specs, cruise PS69, ANT-XXIII/8, stn 603-5, eastern Weddell Sea, 70°30.99ʹ S, 08°48.08ʹ W to 70°30.40ʹ S, 08°48.13ʹ W, 274–297 m, sponge bottom, Agassiz trawl, 7 Dec. 2006, coll. C. d’Udekem d’Acoz and H. Robert (RBINS, INV. 122560); 1 spec., alcohol-fixed, cruise PS69, ANT-XXIII/8, stn 603-5, eastern Weddell Sea, 70°30.99ʹ S, 08°48.08ʹ W to 70°30.40ʹ S, 08°48.13ʹ W, 274–297 m, sponge bottom, Agassiz trawl, 7 Dec. 2006, coll. C. d’Udekem d’Acoz and H. Robert (RBINS, INV. 122475); 1 spec., cruise PS69, ANT-XXIII/8, stn 726-4, southeast of Snow Hill Island, 64°37.83ʹ S, 56°42.10ʹ W to 64°38.03ʹ S, 56°42.57ʹ W, 292 m, Agassiz trawl, 23 Jan. 2007, coll. C. d’Udekem d’Acoz and H. Robert (RBINS, INV. 122564); 2 specs, cruise PS69, ANT-XXIII/8, stn 728-2, south of Dundee Island, 63°42.63ʹ S, 56°01.63ʹ W to 63°42.25ʹ S, 56°02.16ʹ W, 293–298 m, Agassiz trawl, 24 Jan. 2007, coll. C. d’Udekem d’Acoz and H. Robert (RBINS, INV. 122569); 1 ♀, dissected, absolute alcohol, cruise PS81, ANT-XXIX/3, stn 193-8, Bransfield Strait, 62°43.73ʹ S, 57°29.04ʹ W to 62°43.80ʹ S, 57°29.40ʹ W, 428–431 m, Agassiz trawl, 23 Feb. 2013, coll. C. d’Udekem d’Acoz and M. Verheye (RBINS, INV. 132960) [extraction I17; Genbank nr, 28S: KU759619].

Belgian and Belgian-Dutch Antarctic expedition:

SOUTHERN OCEAN: 1 spec., Princess Ragnhild Coast, stn 215, Baie Léopold, exact position missing, 234 m, trawl, 28 Jan. 1965, coll. A. Capart (RBINS, INV. 132730); 1 spec., Princess Ragnhild Coast, stn 219, Baie du Glacier, 70°18ʹ05″ S, 23°58ʹ00″ E, 216 m, trawl, 31 Jan. 1965, coll. A. Capart (RBINS, INV. 132727); 1 spec., Princess Ragnhild Coast, stn 219, Baie du Glacier, 70°18ʹ05″ S, 23°58ʹ00″ E, 216 m, trawl, 31 Jan. 1965, coll. A. Capart (RBINS, INV. 132729); 1 spec., Princess Ragnhild Coast, stn 219, Baie du Glacier, 70°18ʹ05″ S, 23°58ʹ00″ E, 216 m, trawl, 31 Jan. 1965, coll. A. Capart (RBINS, INV. 132727); 1 spec., Princess Ragnhild Coast, stn 234, between ‘Baie des Pingouins’ and ‘Baie du Polarhav’, 70°19ʹ S, 24°26ʹ E, 200 m, trawl, 2 Feb. 1967, coll. A. Capart (RBINS, INV. 132276).

Description

ROSTRUM. Long, reaching mid of article 2 of peduncle of antenna 1 (teeth excluded), strongly curved, subacute in lateral view.

EYE. Large, elliptic.

PEREION–PLEOSOME TOOTH PATTERN. Pereionite 1 with medium-sized broad and blunt mid-dorsal tooth pointing backwards, with pair of small conical, dorsolateral teeth; pereionite 2 much narrower than pereionites 1 and 3, without mid-dorsal tooth and without pair of dorsolateral teeth; pereionite 3 with medium-sized broad and blunt mid-dorsal tooth pointing backwards and pair of fairly blunt, conical, dorsolateral teeth; pereionite 4 to pleonite 2 with large, moderately narrow, acute mid-dorsal tooth, of which the anterior border exhibits a slight angular discontinuity, and the posterior border is slightly concave, with pair of conical dorsolateral teeth of which the size gradually increases posteriorly (these pairs of teeth are never duplicate); pleonite 3 with large narrowly triangular, nearly symetrical, acutetipped mid-dorsal tooth, and pair of large styliform dorsolateral teeth (size of mid-dorsal tooth very weakly increasing from pereionite 4 to pleonite 2; mid-dorsal tooth of pleonite 3 as long as tooth of pleonite 2).

COXAE 1–3. Strongly carinate and distally sharp.

COXA 4. Anterodorsal border straight, anteroventral border weakly curved, these two borders being joined by a long curve (anterior angle), this anterior angle is weakly projecting forward; ventral tooth very long and acute; lateral carina with very large tooth obliquely pointing backwards; carina very distant from margin of coxa at its deepest point.

COXA 5. With long, sharp, narrowly triangular, carinate, lateral tooth pointing obliquely backwards.

COXA 6. With mid-sized, sharp and narrowly triangular, carinate, lateral tooth pointing obliquely backwards; posteroventral angle rounded, without angular discontinuity.

COXA 7. With ventral border slightly curved, with posterior border straight, their convergence forming a blunt squared angle.

EPIMERAL PLATES 1–3. Posteroventral angle produced into a very long and very sharp tooth.

UROSOME TOOTH PATTERN. Urosomite 1 with large and sharp narrow tooth pointing upwards; urosomite 2 with pair of mid-sized posterior dorsolateral teeth pointing upwards; urosomite 3 with pair of mid-sized posterior dorsolateral teeth pointing obliquely upwards.

TELSON. Cleft on 0.3; tips of lobes subacute, notch narrowly and sharply V-shaped.

PEDUNCLE OF ANTENNA 1. Article 1 with medium-sized lateral, medial and ventral teeth reaching mid of article 2 (teeth excluded) or less; article 2 with medium-sized lateral, medial and ventral teeth, not reaching tip of article 3 (ventral tooth excluded); article 3 with well developed ventral tooth, 0.5–0.8 times as long as article itself.

GNATHOPODS 1–2. Carpus and propodus of normal slenderness; not broadening distally, palm distinct.

PEREIOPODS 5–7. Merus, carpus and propodus slender; basis of pereiopods 5–6 of normal width, with posteroproximal process rounded and strongly protruding, with posterodistal tooth very strong (as long as basis width); basis of pereiopod 7 broad with posterodistal tooth acute and very large, followed more proximally by distinct concavity, directed posteriorly.

Colour pattern

Whitish with large orange red marks; eye reddish.

Body length

Up to 35 mm.

Distribution

Tip of Antarctic Peninsula, eastern shelf of the Weddell Sea, Princess Ragnhild Coast; 170– 490 m.

Biology

Specimens previously identified as Epimeria macrodonta collected during the cruises ANT-VII/4 and ANT-XIII/3, and apparently used by Dauby et al. (2001a, 2001b) for their trophic studies were examined. They proved to be E. pyrodrakon sp. nov. According to Dauby et al. (2001a), gut contents of their freshly collected “ Epimeria macrodonta ” (i.e., at least in part E. pyrodrakon sp. nov.) showed a wide variety of food items: cnidarians (hydroid perisarcs, gorgonian ossicles), crustaceans (pieces of euphausiids) and pycnogonids, sea cucumbers (ossicles), and plankton (foraminifers, diatoms, ostracods); sponge spicules and sand grains completed the diet. On the basis of these observations, Dauby et al. (2001a, 2001b) concluded that the species was an opportunistic feeder or an opportunistic predator, coupling microbrowsing on colonial organisms with active capture of small live prey and with microdetritivory.

Remarks

Epimeria pyrodrakon sp. nov. is superficially similar to the sympatric E. anguloce sp. nov., but exhibits a different size arrangement of teeth on the peduncle of antenna 1, a larger mid-dorsal tooth on pereionite 1 and a much longer tooth on the lateral carina of coxa 4. The ‘ Epimeria macrodonta ’ illustrated in fig. 21 by Coleman (2007) corresponds to the description of E. pyrodrakon sp. nov. based on the size and disposition of the teeth on the peduncle of antenna 1. The station of the specimen is not given in the book. It is 62°59.38ʹ S, 57°4.82ʹ W [tip of Antarctic Peninsula]; 3 Dec. 1984, leg. Wägele, 200–300 m, Agassiz trawl (Coleman pers. com.).