“Metaschisma, new genus
ETYMOLOGY.—From the Greek meta (between, among, near) plus the Greek schisma (a split).
TYPE SPECIES.—Metaschisma nex, new species herein.
COMPOSITION.—Monotypic.
DISTRIBUTION.—Slope 1, off Nowra, New South Wales, 204 m.
DIAGNOSIS.—The new genus Metaschisma is proposed because of the morphology of the mandible, which differs considerably from that of known Rutidermatidae: basale wider than long, and shorter than dorsal edge of 1st endopodial joint; 2nd endopodial joint broad (length of proximal edge greater than length of ventral edge), tapering distally, with 2 stout terminal ventral claws; 3rd endopodial joint with stout terminal claw with right-angle bend near base, and a shorter pointed ventral bristle with several stout ventral teeth near base and distal rings; exopodite a minute node with small terminal bristle.
A combination of the following characters of other appendages of M. nex may be diagnostic for the genus: The suture separating the 3rd and 4th joints of the 1st antenna, the 2-jointed endopodite on the female 2nd antenna, the 2 stout bristles representing the exopodite on the maxilla, the teeth on the 1st and 2nd exopodial joints of the female 5th limb, and the furca with claws 1, 2, 4, and 6 primary. The adult male is unknown.
DISCUSSION.—It is possible to relate most bristles on the 1st and 2nd endopodial joints of the mandible to those of Rutiderma using the lettering system proposed in Komicker (1985a:2). Although the female mandibles of Metaschisma and Rutiderma appear to be quite different, the main differences are that the minute spine-like b-bristle of the 2nd endopodial joint of Rutiderma is a stout claw on Metaschisma, the claw-like c-bristle of the 2nd endopodial joint is shorter on Metaschisma, and the claw-like c-bristle of the 3rd joint is much longer on Metaschisma. The presence of a suture between the 3rd and 4th joints of the 1st antenna, of secondary claws between primary claws on the furca, and the complex teeth on the 5th limb suggest that Metaschisma might be more closely related to Alternochelata than to Rutiderma or Scleraner.”
(Kornicker, 1994, p.123)
Metaschisma is een geslacht van kreeftachtigen uit de klasse van de Ostracoda (mosselkreeftjes).
Metaschisma is een geslacht van kreeftachtigen uit de klasse van de Ostracoda (mosselkreeftjes).
