A new genus and species of the family Nannopodidae Brady, 1880 from the Yellow Sea of Korea

Abstract

Both sexes of Nannopodidae gen. et sp. nov. are described from sublittoral sandy sediments around the Socheongcho Ocean Research Station (SORS) in the Yellow Sea of South Korea. This new species resembles five genera, Huntemania Poppe, 1884, Rosacletodes Wells, 1985, Laophontisochra George, 2002, Acticoxa Huys & Kihara, 2010 and Talpacoxa Corgoshinho, 2012, of family Nannopodidae Bradny, 1880 in having a broad mandibular palp, a distinct crista on coxa of the first leg, and the second to fourth legs bearing burrowing form. Of these, Nannopodidae gen. et sp. nov. has a closed relationship with Laophontisochra by sharing the structures of antennary exopod represented by a single seta, the prehensile first leg, and the two-segmented fifth leg in both sexes with a single seta on endopodal lobe. However, this new genus is distinguishable from the latter by the absence of exopod in the mandible, the presence of exopod in the maxillule, one-segmented exopods of the second to fourth legs and the presence of coxal cristae in the second to fourth legs. This contribution provides detailed illustrations and descriptions of Nannopodidae gen. et sp. nov. We also discuss the taxonomic position of L. terueae