Description of a Small-headed Gnathiid Isopod (Crustacea), Gnathia capitellum sp. nov., from Coastal Japan

Abstract

Adult male and larva of Gnathia capitellum sp. nov. (Crustacea: Isopoda: Gnathiidae) are described. The specimens were laboratory-reared larvae that infested host fishes collected by longline fishing in a coastal bay of Izu Peninsula and adult males found in dredge samples from shallow water (depth: 11–12 m) of Miura Peninsula, central Japan. Adult males of G. capitellum sp. nov. were easily distinguished from the other species of Gnathia Leach, 1814 from around the world by the small oval head and the inner margin of pylopod without plumose setae. Most other Gnathia species have a large rectangular head and plumose setae present on the article 1 of pylopod. Appearance of the adult male resembles the genus Afrignathia Hadfield and Smit, 2008 rather than Gnathia but Afrignathia has maxilla 1 which is absent in all known male gnathiids in the world including G. capitellum sp. nov. Fish parasitic larva of G. capitellum sp. nov. is also described herein. This larva closely resembles larvae of the genus Gnathia, but can be distinguished from the other Gnathia species by the remarkably oval-shaped basis in pereopods 2–4.