Cold-water coral associated Epimeria (Epimeriidae, Amphipoda) from the North Atlantic and Southwest Pacific, with descriptions of two new species

Abstract Cold-water corals are hotspots of biodiversity in the deep sea, and amphipod crustaceans are dominant members of these associations. Amphipoda are ecologically diverse and play a crucial role in the marine realm. Within the family Epimeriidae Boeck, 1871, the genus Epimeria Costa in Hope, 1851 is globally distributed and notably species-rich. Although some Epimeria species have been assumed to associate with deep-sea corals, these relationships remain poorly documented as of now. In this study, we describe two new Epimeria species associated with cold-water corals: Epimeria craigi sp. nov. from Iceland and Epimeria freiwaldi sp. nov. from New Zealand via integrative taxonomy. Both species new to science were filmed and collected using a remotely operated vehicle (ROV), providing live observations of the amphipods and their coral hosts. We provide live photographs, DNA barcodes based on the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I gene (COI), and updated taxonomic keys to the Atlantic and Pacific species of Epimeria . With these two newly described species, the total number of known Epimeria species increases to 93 worldwide. Additionally, we present photographic evidence for E . aff. sophie and two uncollected Epimeria species from New Zealand.