Acanthocolax similis Vervoort 1969

Acanthocolax similis Vervoort

Acanthocolax similis. Vervoort, 1969:115.

MATERIAL EXAMINED.—6 from the nasal fossae and gill area of 9 Acanthurus bahianus Castelman, collected by the author at Carrie Bow Cay, Belize, Mar and Dec 1980; 1 from the gill area of Pomacanthus paru (Block), collected Mar 1980 from the same locality.

FEMALE.—Body form as in Figure 63. Total length 841 μm, greatest width 507 μm (measured at widest part of cephalon). First free thoracic segment about as wide as cephalon. Genital segment (Figure 64) nearly twice as wide as long (162 × 89 μm). The 3 abdominal segments measure (length × width) 59 × 118 μm, 30 × 103 μm, 30 × 83 μm, respectively; last abdominal segment (Figure 65) with 2 ventral patches of stout spinules. Caudal rami (Figure 65) longer than wide (35 × 27 μm), ventral surface with a patch of stout spinules, 2 major terminal setae (longest 192 μm) and 4 minor setae as illustrated.

First antenna (Figure 66) 6-segmented with 15 plumose setae on first 3 segments and an aesthete on each of last 2 segments; a dorsal sclerotized process on first segment (Figure 67) opposing a cephalic knob. Rostrum with ventral hooks. Second antenna (Figure 68) last segment with numerous hooklets not arranged in discrete rows, inner margin with comb-like process, 3 mid-outer setae and 4 recurved spines. Oral area (Figure 69) typically bomolochid; paragnath with short hairs on apical surface and fringed apical margin; first maxilla with 3 plumose setae and a short naked seta, middle plumose seta twice length of other 2. Maxilliped (Figure 70) claw with accessory process.

Legs 1–4 biramose. Leg 1 (Figure 71) basipod with row of conspicuous spinules near base of endopod and patches of small spinules on surface; exopod first segment with spinulose spine at outer distal corner, last 2 segments fused bearing 4 outer spines and 6 plumose setae; endopod first 2 segments each with inner seta and a distal row of slender spinules, last segment with 5 plumose setae, interpodal plate with a row of heavy spines. Leg 2 (Figure 72) coxopod with spines at outer distal corner, basipod with a long naked seta at outer distal corner; exopod first segment with a row of spines on outer margin and a long fringed spine at outer distal corner, second segment similar except with an inner seta, last segment with 4 fringed spines, a row of shorter spines along outer margin and 4 plumose setae; endopod segments with spines on outer border, first segment with an inner seta, second with 2 inner setae, last segment with 2 toothed spines and 3 plumose setae; interpodal plate with distal row of spines. Leg 3 (Figure 73) similar to leg 2 except last exopod segment with only 3 outer fringed spines, endopod mid-segment with only 1 inner seta and only 2 setae on last segment. Leg 4 (Figure 74) armed as in leg 3 except exopod with only 3 setae on last segment and last endopod segment with usual seta flanked by 2 spines, endopod longer than exopod. Leg 5 (Figure 75) with patches of long spinules as in the figure and unusually long setae, distalmost seta longer than free segment and about twice length of innermost seta. Leg 6 represented by 3 setae at area of egg sac attachment (Figure 64).