Calypsophontodes gen. nov. (Copepoda: Harpacticoida: Ancorabolidae), a New Genus of Laophontodinae, Including Remarks on Ancorabolid Phylogeny

Abstract

Both sexes of Laophontodes macropodia Gee and Fleeger, 1986 (Ancorabolidae, Laophontodinae) are redescribed in detail based on type material from the South Orkney Islands and other material from King George Island (South Shetland Islands). The species is fixed as the type of a new genus Calypsophontodes on account of the sexually dimorphic setation on enp-2 of P4 (inner seta present in female, absent in male) and the sexual size dimorphism in P2-P4. The taxon further displays a number of plesiomorphic characters, such as the presence of an outer spine on enp-2 of female P3 and the protruding endopodal lobe in female P5. Laophontodes latissimus Brady, 1918 is regarded as species inquirenda within Calypsophontodes. The geniculation of the outer seta on exp-2 of P1 and the presence of an outer bump with long spinules on the second antennular segment are proposed as potential synapomorphies of Laophontodinae (including Ancorabolina).