Common harpacticoid copepods from New Zealand harbours and estuaries

Abstract

Ten harpacticoid species form the most abundant elements of the meiobenthic copepod fauna of mud and fine sand sediments in a number of New Zealand harbours and estuaries from Otago to Northland. By its intermediate nature Miscegenus heretaunga n.gen. & sp. cannot be accommodated within known genera of Diosaccidae. The quinquespinosa-group of Heterolaophonte is raised to generic rank as Quinquelaophonte n.gen., and Q. candelabrum n.sp. is described. The new species Halectinosoma otakoua, H. hydrofuge, Parastenhelia megarostrum, Enhydrosoma variabile, and Paralaophonte aenigmaticum are described. Mesochra parva and Parastenhelia hornelli are recorded from New Zealand for the first time. Keys and/or detailed character tables are given for Parastenhelia, Paralaophonte, and Quinquelaophonte. A possible phylogeny for the Amphiascus-related genera of Diosaccidae is proposed.

Revision ofTrophoniellaHartman, 1959 (Polychaeta, Flabelligeridae)

“…He divided the genus into seven species-groups and designated a ‗Typus' for each: (1) Sewell, 1924) Willey, 1929), (6) campbelliensis-group (type L. campbelliensis Lang, 1934) and (7) tenuispina-group (type L. tenuispina Lang, 1934). Wells et al (1982: 178) proposed a new genus Quinquelaophonte Wells, Hicks & Coull, 1982 (type by original designation Laophonte quinquespinosa Sewell, 1924) for the species of the quinquespinosa-group. Nowadays, the other groups are no longer recognized as taxonomically useful units (Wells 2007: 85).…”

Paralaophonte harpagone sp. n. (Copepoda: Harpacticoida), a laophontid with an extremely specialised maxilliped

“…As discussed in Wells et al (1982), four species have the male P3 endopod only slightly modified, i.e. never 3-segmented: Paralaophonte perplexa (T. Scott, 1898), P. quaterspinata (Brian, 1917), P. innae Chislenko, 1977, and P. aenigmaticum Wells, Hicks & Coull, 1982. Paralaophonte subterranea Lang, 1965 has been transferred to Loureirophonte Jakobi, 1953in Fiers (1993.…”

“…Nearly all members of Paralaophonte have a distinct sexually dimorphic three-segmented P3 endopodite bearing an outer apophysis on the second segment. As discussed in Wells et al (1982), four species have the male P3 endopod only slightly modified, i.e. never 3-segmented: Paralaophonte perplexa (T. Scott, 1898), P. quaterspinata (Brian, 1917), P. innae Chislenko, 1977, and P. aenigmaticum Wells, Hicks & Coull, 1982.…”

A Marine Harpacticoid, Quinquelaophonte koreana sp. nov. from a Sandy Beach in Korea (Crustacea: Copepoda)

“…Family Laophontidae T. Scott, 1905 Genus Quinquelaophonte Wells, Hicks and Coull, 1982 Quinquelaophonte koreana sp. nov.…”

“…Prior to its upgrading to genus level the latter group saw the addition of three new species: H. longifurcata Lang, 1965, H. parasigmoides Božić, 1969and H. wellsi Hamond, 1973. A final species, Q. candelabrum , was added by Wells et al (1982) when they diagnosed the genus Quinquelaophonte . They further questioned the status and position of Laophonte brevicornis and decided to place it as a species incertae sedis near or perhaps within the genus Quinquelaophonte .…”