New sphaeromatids (Crustacea: Isopoda: Sphaeromatidea) from coastal and freshwater habitats in New Zealand

Abstract

Exosphaeroma waitemata sp. nov. is described from the Waitamata Estuary, Auckland, northern North Island; it is characterised by the setose pereopods and body margins, setose uropod rami with distally acute exopods, and males with coxae 6 posteriorly extended and acute; the species is regarded as incertae sedis. A new genus and new species of Sphaeromatidae, Makarasphaera amnicosa gen. nov., sp. nov. is described from maritime freshwater streams and seeps from the Wellington and Wairarapa region of the southern North Island of New Zealand. The genus characterised by the thickened ventrolateral margins of pereonite 1, head deeply immersed in pereonite 1, elongate penial processes, short and mesially produced pleopod 1 peduncle, flask-shaped appendix masculina, pleopods 4 and 5 without thickened ridges, pleopod 5 with reduced scale patches, and the pleon with only one short suture running to the poster margin. Copyright © 2005 Magnolia Press.