Coxicerberus minutus (Coineau & Botosaneanu, 1973)

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Suggested Common Name: Curved Beach-Cerberus
Etymology: minūtus = very small [Latin], probably refering either to the smaller than average size of this species compared to related species or the relatively small ♂ pleopod 2 endopod. Common name refers to the curved medial lobe on the ♂ pleopod 2 endopod.
Taxonomic History: Microcerberus minutus Coineau & Botosaneanu, 1973; Coxicerberus minutus Wägele, Voelz & Vaun McArthur, 1995
Size Range: to 0.812mm
Description: (modified from Coineau & Botosaneanu, 1973) Antenna 1 5-segmented. Antenna 2 flagellum segment 1 shorter (compared to C. nunezi).  Mandible body with lobe next to palp; incisor and lacinia 4-cuspid; spine row with 1 spine; molar long, tapering. Pereopod 1 carpus somewhat elongate, palmar process acute, reaching spines of propus palm proximal process, tipped with 1 apical and several subapical setae. Pereopods 2-7 merus with distolateral lobe; ischium with 1 ventral seta. Pereonites 2-4 medial lobes with distomedial corner rounded with a small seta, lateral corner somewhat subacute, distolateral margin with 1 seta; lateral lobes elongate, somewhat wide (compared to C. mirabilis), medial tooth present, blunt. Pereopods 2-4 merus distodorsal lobe with 1 apical seta; ischium with 1 dorsal seta. Pereopods 5-7 merus distodorsal lobe with an acute apical tooth. ♂ pleopod 2 protopod stocky, 0.75x as long as endopod; endopod reduced, only 0.33x longer than protopod, lateral lobe roughly triangular, blunt-tipped, apical lobe short, truncate (and lacking sublobes) or C-shaped, directed laterally, both proximoapical and distoapical lobes (when present) blunt, medial lobe wide, stocky, surpassing apical lobe and directed laterally, tip obtuse to truncate, medial lamella broad-rounded. Uropod protopod as wide as long with 1 lateral and 2 apical setae; exopod minute with 2 distal setae; exopod conical, about 1.5x longer than basis, with 2 subapical plumose setae and a tuft of distal setae including 1 plumose setae.
Geographic Range: Reported at Playa Baracoa in Oriente (SE Cuba) and Playa Rancho Luna near Cienfuegos (W Cuba). Probably intertidal.
Notes: This species can easily be distinguished from other members of the mirabilis group by the odd structure of the ♂ pleopod 2, especially in the thick laterally-directed medial lobe.

Sources

Coineau, N. & Botosaneanu, L. (1973). Isopodes interstitiels de Cuba. In Resultats des Expeditions Biospeologiques Cubano-Roumaines a Cuba. Bucarest: Academy of the Socialist Republic of Roumania, 191-222.

Wägele, J. W., Voelz, N. J., & Vaun McArthur, J. (1995). Older than the Atlantic Ocean: discovery of a fresh-water Microcerberus (Isopoda) in North America and erection of Coxicerberus, new genus. Journal of Crustacean Biology, 15(4):733-745.

Published: Feb 15, 2023