Comantenna Wilson, 1924
Taxonomic description:
Female. Total length 1.70-4.00 mm. Cephalothorax about 3-4 times longer than abdomen. Cephalon and Th1 fused (line of fusion sometimes visible), Th4-Th5 fused, or separated. Rostrum absent. Posterior Th5 corners prolonged into points, directed backwards (lateral view). Genital segment symmetrical, of nearly the same width along all its length. A1 23-24-segmented, usually shorter than body. A2 coxopodite with 1 and basipodite with 2 setae; Ri1 A2 with 1 seta, Ri2 with 14-15 setae, 8-9 on internal lobe, of which 4-5 long, and others short, and 6 (sometimes there is 1 more posterior seta) on external lobe. Re A2 shorter than Ri, Re2-Re3 A2 sometimes fused, Re1 A2 without setae, Re2 A2 with 1 seta, or it is absent, terminal segment of Re A2 very short, at least 1 of 3 terminal setae short. Ri Md short, not longer than Re1 Md, Ri2 with 4-5 setae and Ri1 Md with 1 seta; Md palp base with 2 setae (or they are absent). Re Mx1 with 11 setae. Mx2 typical of Aetideidae, on the fifth endite one of setae transformed into thicker, claw-like; on first-fourth endites groups of minute spines usually present. Mxp robust, on protopodite in its proximal part sometimes 1 small, thin seta present, then (looking from proximal part of segment to distal) there are groups of 2, 3 and 2-3 setae, near the base of distal setae group there is a digital appendage. Ri1 Mxp with 2-3 setae arranged in about the middle part of the joint; setae on Ri2-Ri6 Mxp comparatively short and not strongly sclerotized (in comparison with, for example, Pseudeuchaeta species) and without crescent-like appendages. Ri P1 one-segmented, often its external lobe reduced, Ri P2 2-segmented, all other swimming legs rami 3-segmented. External spines on Re1-Re3 P1 long, significantly longer than segments themselves; seta on basipodite near Ri base present (C. brevicornis ), or absent. P5 usually absent, but some specimens of C. recurvata has vestigial P5 (Grice and Hulsemann, 1970).
Male. Total length 1.20 mm. Posterior points of Th5 corners straight. A1 23-segmented. A2 as in female, oral parts in comparison with that in females reduced. Mxp protopodite without digital appendage. P5 biramous: left Ri 2-segmented, right one-segmented; left Re 3-segmented, terminal segment short, right Re 2-segmented with terminal segment prolonged, especially in its distal half, this segment ending into curved thread-like filament, supplied with thin hairs.
Remarks. Bryaxis minor Farran, 1905 attributed earlier to this genus removed into Paracomantenna (Campaner, 1978).
Type species: Bryaxis brevicornis Sars, 1902, by monotypy.
The genus Comantenna includes 4 species. Description of C. curtisetosa is given below, but the species is not included into the key for identification because P1-P4 are damaged and therefore non described. The species status evidently needs specification.
Comantenna brevicornis (Sars, 1902)
Comantenna crassa Bradford, 1969 (male unknown)
Comantenna curtisetosa Alvarez, 1986 (male unknown)
Comantenna recurvata Grice and Hulsemann, 1970 (male unknown).