2 NEW GENERA OF MISOPHRIOID COPEPODS (CRUSTACEA) FROM AN ANCHIHALINE CAVE IN THE BAHAMAS

Two new genera of misophrioid copepods are described from an anchihali ne cave on the Exuma Gays, Bahamas. Both sexes of Huysia bahamensis ar e characterized by the retention of biramous fifth legs, a character s tate previously reported only in members of the Misophria-lineage. Pro tospeleophria lucayae is described on the basis of a single female. It is closely related to Speleophria, but can easily be distinguished by the more plesiomorphic segmentation pattern of the antennules (the la ck of fusion between antennulary segments IX to XII and XV to XVI) and by the maxillipedal armature. The new taxa belong to a cluster of gen era, together with Speleophria and Speleophriopsis, characterized by: the presence of a long, falcate rostrum; the fusion between genital an d first abdominal somites in the female to form a genital double-somit e; the presence of enlarged aesthetascs on antennulary segments III an d VII; the [5,3] armature formula of the maxillary allobasis; the 2-se gmented endopod of leg 1; and the 4-segmented fifth legs (comprising c oxa, basis and 2-segmented exopod). The unmodified segmentation around the geniculation of the male antennule of Huysia and Speleophriopsis necessitates some redefinition of the ancestral neocopepodan geniculat ion.