Abstract
Abstract Four species of xarifiid copepods, including three new species and one new distribution and host record, are discussed based on specimens obtained from a widely distributed scleractinian coral, Psammocora digitata Milne Edwards & Haime, 1851, collected from Taiwan: Xarifia conreptasp. nov., X. gracilissp. nov., X. lata sp. nov., and X. diminutaHumes & Ho, 1967. Xarifia conreptasp. nov. is distinguished from its congeners by the morphology of the endopods and exopods of legs, the genital segment, maxilliped, and maxillule; X. gracilissp. nov. is diagnosed by the morphology of the leg endopods and the region dorsal to the fifth legs; and X. latasp. nov. by its shorter body length, the terminal armature of endopods and exopods, and the morphology of the maxilliped. The specimens of X. diminuta are similar to those in the original description, except for the undeveloped endopods of legs 3 and 4. Including the three new species, five species of xarifiids are now known to use P. digitata as host, raising to 18 the number of species symbiotic copepod recorded from Psammocora.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
