Two New Hyporheic Parastenocarididae From India: Parastenocaris Sutlej N. Sp. And P. Gundlakamma N. Sp. (Copepoda, Harpacticoida)

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To date, 13 species of harpacticoids of the family Parastenocarididae are known to occur on the Indian subcontinent. Of these, twelve species belong to the genus Parastenocaris Kessler, 1913, and one to the genus Kinnecaris Jakobi, 1972. Two more new hyporheic species of the genus, viz. P. sutlej n. sp. and P. gundlakamma n. sp., are described herein and their taxonomic position within the genus is discussed. Both species belong to the brevipes-group. Parastenocaris sutlej n. sp., which was found in the River Sutlej of the western Himalayas, presents a unique combination of characters: integument poorly chitinized and without pits and windows; caudal rami about three times as long as wide, with lateral setae inserted at about midlength of ramus; proximal segment of male leg 3 exopod expanded into distinct tubercle at outer proximal corner; male leg 4 basis with partly sclerotized bilobed outgrowth at base of endopod and also with relatively long, outcurved horn at distal inner corner and longitudinal row of spinules on inner distal margin; and endopod shorter than first exopodal segment, the distal third of which is a bilobed hyaline structure with apical and inner subapical spinules. Leg 5 is similar in both sexes, with a spinous process at the inner distal corner. Incidentally, P. sutlej n. sp. is the first parastenocaridid species to be reported from subtropical India. Parastenocaris gundlakamma n. sp. is described from southeastern peninsular India. This species is very close to its Indian congener P. savita Ranga Reddy, 2001, differing from the latter mainly in the following morphological characters: integument strongly sclerotized, with surface pits; male urosomites 2-5 and female urosomites 2-4 each with distinct dorsal integumental window; in male, antennular segment 7 without any apophysis; apophysis of leg 3 exopod plate-like and longer than thumb; leg 4 endopod much dilated proximally and apical spinules clustered in the form of incurved hook. These two species also differ from each other in their habitat preference and distribution.