Abstract
It appeared necessary to undertake a redescription of Laophontodes typicus T. Scott, 1894, but with the absence of the type specimen, several additional individuals collected from a number of regions were studied. The specimens chosen were from the western coast of Sussex and the Scottish Firth of Forth (UK), the Skjerstad fjord (Norway), the Patagonian continental slope (Chile) and the Great Meteor Seamount (subtropical north-eastern Atlantic Ocean). All specimens examined had been previously determined as L. typicus and deposited in the collections of renowned research institutions. However, detailed morphological comparison revealed that only the Sussex material can be assigned to L. typicus; the remaining specimens represent distinct species whose original assignment to L. typicus was erroneous, due to a morphological ambiguity. Thus, the current status of L. typicus must be regarded as a species complex. The Sussex material enabled a detailed redescription of L. typicus. Additionally, five new species are described, namely L. scottorum sp. nov., L. sarsi sp. nov., L. gertraudae sp. nov., L. monsmaris sp. nov. and L. norvegicus sp. nov. They exhibit some morphological similarity, but equally present discrete characters justifying their establishment as distinct taxa. The descriptions are accompanied by a detailed discussion that explains the justification of the splitting of L. typicus.
Highlights
To elucidate the phylogenetic relationships within Laophontodinae Lang, 1944 (Copepoda, Harpacticoida), several studies have focused on specific laophontodin taxa (Conroy-Dalton 2004; George 2006, 2017; Gheerardyn & Lee 2012; George & Gheerardyn 2015)
All individuals examined in the present contribution were previously assigned to L. typicus (George 1999, 2005; George & Schminke 2002; Ventham 2011), as were other redescriptions
Laophontodes typicus was confirmed to be the correct designation for material collected by Ventham (2011) on the coast of Sussex (UK)
Summary
To elucidate the phylogenetic relationships within Laophontodinae Lang, 1944 (Copepoda, Harpacticoida), several studies have focused on specific laophontodin taxa (Conroy-Dalton 2004; George 2006, 2017; Gheerardyn & Lee 2012; George & Gheerardyn 2015) These studies have improved our knowledge of the systematic relationships of and within that taxon and even within the genera examined. 1894 was split into several genera (Calypsophontodes Gheerardyn & Lee, 2012; Lobopleura Conroy-Dalton, 2004; Paralaophontodes Lang, 1965) and a number of species have been redescribed This has contributed remarkably to a clarification of the systematics within the genus Laophontodes (Lang 1965; Conroy-Dalton 2004; Gheerardyn & Lee 2012; George & Gheerardyn 2015; George 2017).
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