Towards a revision of Candoninae (Crustacea: Ostracoda): Australian representatives of the subfamily, with descriptions of three new genera and seven new species

Abstract

The following new Candoninae taxa are described: Neocandona novitas n. gen., n. sp.; N. newmani n. gen., n. sp.; Origocandona inanitas n. gen., n. sp.; O. gratia n. gen., n. sp.; Areacandona mulgae n. gen., n. sp.; A. arteria n. gen., n. sp; and Humphreyscandona imperfecta n. sp. Together with these seven species the Australian Candoninae fauna now includes 27 living representatives classified into 10 different genera. Seven genera (three new and four previously described) belong to the same phylogenetic line and are included into the tribe Humphreyscandonini n. trib., described in the present paper. The most prominent characteristic of this tribe is a well chitinised, sharply pointed part of the lobe “b” on the hemipenis projected dorsally. The rest of the Australian genera belong to three separate groups, two of them being in the tribes Candonini and Namibcypridini, whereas the third is not yet defined. This paper contains discussion on the phylogenetic relationships of the Australian Candoninae and keys to all the Candoninae genera and species known from this continent. Also, scanning electron microscope (SEM) photographs of the carapaces of the majority of them are provided. All the new species are from subterranean waters of the Pilbara Region in Western Australia. © 2005, Copyright Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.