Calanus sinicus Brodsky and C. jashmovi, nom. nov. (Copepoda : Calanoida) of the north-western Pacific Ocean: a comparison, with notes on the integumental pore pattern in Calanus s. str.

Abstract

Morphological features, records of distribution and seasonal occurrence of the calanoid copepods Calanus sinicus Brodsky, 1965, and C. orientalis Jashnov, 1975, are compared. Differences between the specimens corroborate the validity of both species. Synonymies are presented. Calanus syunpuensis Kurasige, 1931, cannot be assigned with certainty to either species as senior synonym; it is proposed that this name be treated as a nomen dubium. The preoccupied name C. orientalis Jashnov is replaced with the new name Calanus jashnovi. The patterns formed by integumental organs, i.e. pores of integumental glands and sensilla, are compared between females of C. sinicus and C. orientalis and, further, between most species of Calanus s. str. These patterns support the division of the genus into the four groups established previously on the basis of other morphological characters. Within the pacificus group, C. sinicus and C. orientalis are set apart from the rest of the species by distinct common features of the urosomal pattern, but certain specific features separate the two species.

Why does Calanus sinicus prosper in the shelf ecosystem of the Northwest Pacific Ocean?

“…Of three Calanus species (Calanus sinicus, C. pacificus, and C. yashnovi) distributed in the Northwest Pacific Ocean (Brodskii, 1967(Brodskii, , 1975Hulsemann, 1994), close association with the continental shelf is most characteristic of C. sinicus, because it is distributed over the shelf waters of the South China Sea, the East China Sea, the Yellow Sea, the Bohai Sea, and around Japan. Although the other two species are also distributed in shelf waters, their main habitat is spread over the subarctic North Pacific Ocean, including the Kuroshio Extension and Transition Zone.…”

Transcriptome Sequencing and De Novo Analysis of the Copepod Calanus sinicus Using 454 GS FLX

“…Calanus sinicus is a dominant copepod in the coastal waters of East Asia including China, Korea, and Japan [21]. C. sinicus may account for 80% of the total zooplankton abundance in the Yellow Sea [22], where it links primary production of the Yellow Sea to fish larvae and juveniles [23].…”

“…C. sinicus may account for 80% of the total zooplankton abundance in the Yellow Sea [22], where it links primary production of the Yellow Sea to fish larvae and juveniles [23]. Given its ecological importance, many researchers have investigated this species in biological and ecological studies [21], [23]–[27]. However, limited genomic resources are available for C. sinicus so several key mechanisms remain unknown in C. sinicus , such as the mechanism of diapause and the population genetics of C. sinicus .…”

Diet of the Copepod Calanus Sinicus Brodsky, 1962 (Copepoda, Calanoida, Calanidae) in Northern Coastal Waters of Taiwan During the Northeast Monsoon Period

“…In particular, among the population centres in the Bohai Sea, Yellow Sea, and East China Sea, C. sinicus is the dominant zooplankton species, which accounts for 80% of the zooplankton biomass, suggesting its important role in the marine ecosystem (Zhu & Iverson, 1990;Chen, 1992;Huang et al, 1993a;Hulsemann, 1994;Li et al, 2003a;Hwang & Wong, 2005). C. sinicus is the main food source for several fishes, such as anchovy (Engraulis japonicus Temminck & Schlegel, 1846), sardines (Sardina pilchardus Walbaum, 1792), sand eel (Ammodytes personatus Girard, 1856), and mackerel (Scomberomorus niphonius Cuvier, 1832), that are important for the fishing industry (Zhu & Iverson, 1990;Uye et al, 1999;Islam & Tanaka, 2008).…”