Discovery of Halicyclops continentalis (Cyclopidae, Halicyclopinae) from Estuaries and Salt Marshes on the West Coast of South Korea

Abstract

A cyclopoid species from several salt marshes and estuaries on the west coast of South Korea were identified as Halicyclops continentalis Ueda and Nagai, 2009, recently described from Ariake Bay at northwestern Kyushu, Japan. Detailed examination on the Korean specimens justifies Ueda and Nagai's proposition that the H. sinensis sensu Tai and Chen, 1979 formerly known from the Chinese coast of the Yellow Sea should be identical to H. continentalis. Furthermore, this report reinforces their assumption on the geographical distribution of H. continentalis, that is, the Ariake Bay population is a continental relict of the East Asia continent. Herein, a redescription of the species is provided on the basis of the Korean specimens, with a comment on the morphological comparison among three populations around the Yellow Sea.