The marine ostracod genus
Eucytherura G.W. Müller, 1894 was described from the Gulf of Naples and four species were assigned to it, three new (
Eucytherura angulata,
E. alata,
E. gibbera) and one previously described (
Cythere complexa Brady, 1867); however, no type species was selected. A subsequent designation of
C. complexa Brady as a type species, without discussion, has been followed uncritically ever since, but identification of that species has been uncertain due to the brevity of Brady’s original (unillustrated) description and the poor quality of some subsequent illustrations.
Eucytherura is a diverse and stratigraphically long-ranging genus, and stabilizing its taxonomy is clearly important. We verify, with reference to syntypic specimens illustrated with SEM images for the first time, that Müller’s
E. complexa (Brady) is indeed conspecific with Brady’s species. However, its confirmed status as the type species of
Eucytherura remains problematic because Müller’s original description of the genus relied more on another congeneric species,
Eucytherura gibbera; it is recommended that particular attention should be paid to the latter, for which both carapace morphology and soft parts were well described and figured by Müller, as a characteristic representative of
Eucytherura, whereas
E. complexa is much less well-known.
