Mysidium iliffei Băcescu, 1991

Mysidium iliffei Băcescu, 1991: 3 –5.

Mysidium illifei – Băcescu 1991: fig. 1A–I (invalid spelling variant).

Mysidium iliffei – Ortiz et al. 2017a: table 1; 2017b: 76. — Ortiz & Lalana 2018: 80.

Material examined

No material available, not assigned to any subspecies: see Discussion.

Type locality

Băcescu (1991) indicated “ Jamaica, St. D, 90.026 Sa Rba” as sampling site of the types.

Revised definition

Adapted to the scheme in Table 2 by using published data (Băcescu 1991) on adult females and subadult males: Mysidium with cornea calotte-shaped in dorsal view; diameter 1.5 times as long as terminal segment of antennular trunk. Anterior margin of carapace rounded. First to third segments occupy 57%, 13% and 30% total length of antennular trunk, respectively. Length of antennal scale six times maximum width, scale not reaching beyond antennular trunk. Carpopropodus three-segmented in thoracic endopod 3, and two-segmented in endopod 8. Basal segment occupies 0.4 times total length of carpopropodus of endopod 3. Uropodal endopod 0.8 times as long as exopod. Telson subrectangular with apical cleft. Telson length 1.6 times maximum width near basis. Its lateral margins slightly tapering and smooth along proximal 56–63%; distal portion of each margin with dense continuous series of about 9–11 acute laminae. Subtriangular apical cleft penetrating 11% telson length; cleft separating two broadly rounded, apical lobes; cleft and terminal portion of lobes densely lined in continuous series by about 17–22 acute laminae. Telson with a total of about 35–42 laminae.

Distribution and habitat

Only known from type locality. Băcescu (1991) reported T. Iliffe as collector, so the positional data are interpreted by the present authors according to a copy of the sampling protocol submitted by courtesy of Tom Iliffe: Jamaica, Westmoreland Parish, Negril, Joseph’s Caves, station 90.026, sea cave with swarm of mysids congregated at the cave entrance, collected from water column and sand bottom at depths of 1–3 m, 26 June 1990, leg. Tom Iliffe. Coordinates estimated by the present authors are 18.2680° N, 78.3681° W at the entrance of this touristic cave. Băcescu (1991) reported M. cubanense to co-occur with M. iliffei at this station.