Three new ameirid harpacticoids from Korea and first record of Proameira simplex (Crustacea: Copepoda: Ameiridae)

Abstract

Ameiridae Monard, 1927 was previously known from Korea only after one endemic and four cosmopolitan species of the genus Nitokra Boeck, 1865, and a single widely distributed species of the genus Ameira Boeck, 1865, all from brackish enviroments. After a survey of 22 sampling sites and close to 3,500 harpacticoid specimens from various marine enviroments, we report on two new endemic species of Ameira, A. zahaae sp. nov. and A. kimchi sp. nov., from the West Sea and the South Sea respectively. They are both relatively closely related to the previously recorded cosmopolitan A. parvula (Claus, 1866), but show many novel morphological structures in the caudal rami shape and ornamentation. The identity of the cosmopolitan A. parvula in Korea is questioned, and an alternative hypothesis of a species-complex proposed. The fine ornamentation of body somites (especially the pores/sensilla pattern) is studied in detail, and proves to be a very useful new morphological tool in distinguishing closely related spacies in this genus. The genus Pseudameira Sars, 1911 is reported for the first time in Korea, after four females of P. mago sp. nov. from the South Sea. A single damaged female of Proameira cf. simplex (Norman & Scott, 1905) represents the first record of the genus Proameira Lang, 1944 in Korea, Asia, and anywhere in the Pacific. A key to Korean ameirids is also provided, and their apparent rarity in this part of the world noticed.

Harpacticoida (Copepoda) of the northern East Sea (the Sea of Japan) and the southern Sea of Okhotsk: diversity, taxocenes, and biogeographical aspects

“…Accordingly, the number of endemic taxa may decrease considerably in the future. For example, the present study extended the ranges of Ameira zahaae, Itunella arenaria and Remanea naksanensis, all previously known only from type localities in the southern part of the East Sea and Yellow Sea (Lee and Chang 2008;Back et al 2011;Karanovic and Cho 2012). These three species were found in the Primorye region and South Kuril Islands.…”

Parapseudoleptomesochra phayaoensis, a new species of copepod (Copepoda: Harpacticoida: Ameiridae) from a cave in northern Thailand

“…The most recent studies on the genus Parapseudoleptomesochra agree that the species belonging to this genus share two synapomorphies i.e., there is no inner seta on the P2-P4 Exp-1, and the P3-P4 Exp-3 have two outer spines (Karanovic, 2004;Karanovic, 2006;Wells, 2007). The first character is also presented in some species of Ameira such as A. usitata Kile, 1950, A. zahaae Karanovic et Cho, 2012, A. kimchi Karanovic et Cho, 2012(Lang, 1948Petkovski, 1957;Kunz, 1975;Karanovic, Cho, 2012). It is conceivable that this character is the product of a convergence.…”

Morphological and molecular affinities of two East Asian species of Stenhelia (Crustacea, Copepoda, Harpacticoida)

“…In recent years several studies on copepods showed that combining molecular and morphological methods can help answer questions related to cryptic speciation ( Bláha et al 2010 ; Sakaguchi and Ueda 2010 ; Karanovic and Krajicek 2012a , Hamrova et al 2012 ), invasions of new habitats and colonisation pathways ( Lee et al 2003 , 2007 ; Winkler et al 2008 ; Karanovic and Cooper 2011a , 2012 ), anthropogenic translocation ( Karanovic and Krajicek 2012a ), short range endemism and allopatry ( Karanovic and Cooper 2011a ), and definition of supraspecific taxa in conservative genera or families ( Huys et al 2006 , 2007 , 2009 , 2012 ; Wyngaard et al 2010 ; Karanovic and Cooper 2011b , Karanovic and Krajicek 2012b , Karanovic and Kim 2014 ). However, some studies showed that currently prevailing morphological methods of identifying copepod species are inadequate, and suggested the use of alternative microstructures, such as pores and sensilla pattern on somites ( Alekseev et al 2006 ; Karanovic and Krajicek 2012a ; Karanovic and Cho 2012 ; Karanovic and Kim 2014 ; Karanovic and Lee 2012 ; Karanovic et al 2012 , 2013 ), an approach also tested in this study.…”