Venusticrus Gardiner 1975, comb. nov.

Genus Venusticrus Gardiner, 1975

Generic remarks. Neotanais rotermundiae Weigmann & Guerrero-Kommritz, 2009 shares several characters with V. glandurus such as the uropod attached ventrally to the pleotelson (possibly an apomorphic character for Venusticrus) and the distal bilobate and finely serrated terminal shield at insertion of the unguis of pereopods 4–6 (so far found only in species of Venusticrus), therefore, the former is here transferred to Venusticrus (as V. rotermundiae comb. nov.). In his revision of Neotanais, Larsen (1999) also transferred N. insolitus Gardiner, 1975 to Venusticrus, warranted by the uropod attachment, the setation on the cheliped carpus, the slim cheliped basis and ventral pereopod attachments. Nevertheless, V. insolitus, V. rotermundiae and the new species of Venusticrus described here, lack some of the diagnostic characters listed by Gardiner (1975). Thus, a revised generic diagnosis is presented in the present study.

Gender. Masculine

Type species. Venusticrus glandurus Gardiner, 1975

Diagnosis. Female (modified after Gardiner 1975: 158). Pleonites with or without setae on lateral epimera. Pleotelson acorn-shaped, marginally wider than long. Cheliped carpus with 12–18 simple dorsal setae; propodus bearing a large, with brown-bordered dorsal crest (V. glandurus), or a distal margin curved and pointed (sometimes with crenulated tip). Pereopod attachments not visible in dorsal view. Pereopods 4–6 with articles bearing long plumose setae (V. glandurus) or with setulose, simple and bipinnate setae (all other species); dactylus with distal bilobate and finely serrated terminal shield (as described by Weigmann & Guerrero-Kommritz (2009)); unguis slender, with two fine ventral rows of spines. Uropod basal article attached posterior to mid-length on the ventral margin of the pleotelson (not visible in dorsal view), exopod biarticulate.

Male (copulatory). Body heavily calcified, no apparent setae. Cephalothorax anterior margin relatively broad widening posteriorly. All pereonites rectangular, no seta. Pleon lateral margin rounded. Antennule article 4 bearing several long aesthetascs. Mouthparts all reduced. Cheliped sclerite, basis, ischium and merus naked, with two simple ventral setae; fixed finger reduced, in the shape of a hammer. Uropod basal article attached posterior to mid-length on the ventral margin of the pleotelson, endopod article 1 with several proximal to mid-length fine setae on outer margin.

Species included. Venusticrus glandurus Gardiner, 1975; V. insolitus (Gardiner, 1975); V. rotermundiae (Weigmann & Guerrero-Kommritz, 2009) comb. nov.; V. thor sp. nov.