A new genus and two new species of leptocheliids from the marine shallow waters of Indonesia (Crustacea: Tanaidacea: Tanaidomorpha)

Abstract

A new genus and two new species of leptocheliids from the marine shallow waters of Indonesia (Crustacea: Tanaidacea: Tanaidomorpha) Neoleptochelia javaensis n. g., n. sp. and Leptochelia helenae n. sp. from the marine shallow waters of the Indonesian Archipelago are described and illustrated. By the big length of male cheliped the genus Neoleptochelia n. g. is similar to the species of the Leptochelia-minuta "group". The main characteristics of the new genus consist in the size and configuration of uropod (short and thick), the length of pereopod II dactylus (shorter than unguis) and of the distosternal seta of pereopods III and IV carpus, in females (longer than propodus and dactylus combined). Although the females of L. helenae n. sp. are similar to those of L. daggi Bamber, 2005, the males of these two species are totally different. So, while the male cheliped of L. daggi is similar to that of the species included in the Leptochelia-dubia "group", that of the species L. helenae n. sp. is similar to the Leptochelia-minuta "group".