A new species of Labidocera (Copepoda, Calanoida, Pontellidae) collected from Okinawa, southwestern Japan, with establishment of five Indo-West Pacific species groups in the L.detruncata species complex.

Takeshi Hirabayashi,Susumu Ohtsuka

doi:10.3897/zookeys.447.8171

Abstract

Labidocera churaumi sp. n. is described from Okinawa, southwestern Japan. The female of the new species differs from other congeners in genital compound somite with right postero-lateral and left antero-lateral processes. The male is distinguished from other congeners by the structure of the fifth leg. This new species is assigned to a newly proposed species group, the Labidocera madurae species group, within the Labidocera detruncata species complex. In this species complex five Indo-West Pacific species groups are recognized (cervi, detruncata, gangetica, madurae, and pavo) and defined on the basis of difference in sexual dimorphism.

Highlights

We have been carrying out intensive faunistic surveys of marine invertebrates around the Nansei Islands, in the subtropical region of southwestern Japan, since 1988 and have discovered many new crustacean taxa, especially copepods
In May 2011 we found an undescribed species of the calanoid genus Labidocera Lubbock, 1853 (Family Pontellidae) from Okinawa Island and neighboring islands
The present paper provides a description of the new species, and remarks on species groups within the detruncata species complex

Summary

Introduction

We have been carrying out intensive faunistic surveys of marine invertebrates around the Nansei Islands, in the subtropical region of southwestern Japan, since 1988 and have discovered many new crustacean taxa, especially copepods. It clearly belongs to the L. detruncata species complex (Fleminger 1967, Greenwood and Othman 1979, Mulyadi 2002), due to its characteristic sexual dimorphism. This species complex mainly consists of coastal species from tropical and subtropical IndoWest Pacific waters and two Atlantic species (Fleminger 1967, Greenwood and Othman 1979, Mulyadi 2002). The present paper provides a description of the new species, and remarks on species groups within the detruncata species complex

Materials and methods

Discussion