Type species. Aotearocumella watlingi n.sp.
Diagnosis. Female. Without exopods; uropod peduncles shorter than pleonite 6. Male. With exopods on maxilliped 3-pereopod 2; antennules with group of aesthetascs on peduncle article 3; antennae very short, modified for clasping with flagellum shorter than peduncle; uropod peduncles longer than pleonite 6.
Species. Aotearocumella acantha n. sp. A. echinoseta n. sp., A.watlingi n. sp.
Etymology. Aotearo from the Maori for New Zealand, Land of the Long White Cloud, in combination with Cumella, to indicate that the new genus resembles the Cumella in overall body form. Gender feminine.
Remarks. This genus is similar to Cumella G.O. Sars 1865, but the female is entirely without exopods, the male antennae are modified as clasping antennae, and the male has exopods only on maxilliped 3- pereopod 2, whereas in Cumella, females have exopods on maxilliped 3-pereopod 2 and males have long antennae and exopods on maxilliped 3- pereopod 4. Elassocumella Watling 1991 is a similar genus in which the females have no exopods, the uropod peduncles are also relatively short, and the pleon is shorter than the carapace and pereonites together. In Aotearocumella the length of the pleon is longer than the carapace and pereon together in A. echinoseta and A. watlingi. Also, the male of Elassocumella is unknown. Styloptocumoides Petrescu 2006 also lacks exopods in the female, but the eyelobe is long, narrow and reaches the end of the pseudorostral lobes, while in Aotearocumella the eyelobe is short or absent.