Description of a new genus and species of Bathynellidae (Crustacea: Bathynellacea) from Texas based on morphological and molecular characters

A new genus and species of Bathynellidae is described from Texas (USA). Hobbsinella gen. nov. displays a unique combination of morphological characters including seven-segmented antenna lacking medial seta on exopod, antennule much longer than antenna, threesegmented mandibular palp with sexual dimorphism, four segments on endopod of thoracopods I-VII, five spines on sympod of uropod and three lobes on the penial region of male thoracopod VIII. Partial sequences of cytochrome oxidase I (Cox1) and 18S have been obtained from several specimens of the new species. The mitochondrial and nuclear DNA data complement the traditional morphological taxonomic description supporting the validity of the new genus. Global molecular data for the Bathynellidae demonstrate the presence of three highly divergent genetic units corresponding to three subfamilies, with the new genus confidently placed in the subfamily Gallobathynellinae.