A NEW SPECIES OF ANCORABOLINA (COPEPODA, HARPACTICOIDA, ANCORABOLIDAE) FROM A MEDITERRANEAN SUBMARINE CAVE, WITH A KEY TO SPECIES

Ancorabolina cavernicola sp. nov. (Harpacticoida, Ancorabolidae) is described from the Mediterranean submarine cave 3PP near La Ciotat, France. The new species clearly fits the generic apomorphies (i) cephalothorax posteriorly with pair of lateral, backwardly turned processes; (ii) antennal endopod lacking third subterminal seta. Inside Ancorabolina, the new species can be characterized by seven apomorphic features, (1) cephalothorax posteriorly with dorsal cuticular protrusion; (2) peak on cephalothorax with a pair of frontolateral "horns" ending in long tube pores; (3) lateral pairs of tube pore-bearing projections on cephalothorax well developed; (4) lateral processes of cephalothorax bifurcated with rami well developed; (5) furcal rami considerably elongate, reaching length of abdomen; (6) basis of first swimming leg showing remarkable longitudinal elongation at side of endopod; (7) baseoendopod of fifth swimming leg considerably elongate, reaching end of genital double somite. The record of the new species may support the hypothesis of coastal aphotic habitats showing similar environmental conditions as the deep sea. Furthermore, the genus presents an East-Atlantic-Mediterranean distribution that may, however, be an artefact of recent meiofauna sampling. A. cavernicola sp. nov. is the sixth representative since the description of the first species of the genus in 2006. A key to the species of Alicorabolina is provided.