Phyllognathopus Viguieri Research Articles

How far may life venture? Observations on the harpacticoid copepod Phyllognathopus viguieri under extreme stress conditions

The authors report the first finding of living specimens of the harpacticoid copepod Phyllognathopus viguieri (Maupas, 1892) in the gut content of the teleost fish Merluccius merluccius (Linnaeus, 1758), and their extraordinary viability after the M. merluccius specimens had been stored at − 20 °C for more than 1 month and their stomachs been preserved in 70% ethanol for a further month. After their survival for such a long time in such harsh conditions, P. viguieri, after a few minutes of total immobilization, began to swim actively and fast, and after being reared in freshwater or seawater in Petri dishes under starvation, these animals reproduced, and the presence of nauplii, copepodids and adults which completed the whole life cycle in 3/5 days was observed in freshwater and seawater, respectively. The occurrence of P. viguieri in the stomach of a true marine demersal fish species enlarges the known habitat types the species may stably colonize. The potential for dormancy in fertilized adult females to escape adverse environmental conditions is hypothesized.

Palm house — biodiversity hotspot or risk of invasion? Aquatic invertebrates: The special case of Monogononta (Rotifera) under greenhouse conditions

AbstractGreenhouses form favourable conditions for establishing stable populations of native as well as invasive alien microinvertebrates. Investigations of palm houses have a long tradition and native, alien and new species for science have been found in many of them. The examined pond and some microreservoirs in Bromeliaceae and Agavoideae in Pozna´n Palm House (Poland) sampled in 2012, appeared to contain representatives of Rotifera (64 species), Copepoda (2 species), Polychaeta, Acari and Insecta larvae. The most abundant Rotifera species were: Anuraeopsis fissa Gosse, 1851, Ascomorpha ecaudis Perty 1850, Euchlanis dilatata Ehrenberg, 1832, Pompholyx sulcata Hudson, 1885 and Trichocerca rousseleti Voight, 1902. Moreover, rotifers considered to be rare in Poland, i.e., Asplanchna herricki De Guerne, 1888, Collotheca pelagica Rousselet, 1893, Colurella sulcata Stenroos, 1898, Gastropus minor Rousselet, 1892 were also detected in Pozna´n Palm House. Two recorded Copepoda species were Phyllognathopus viguieri (Maupas, 1892) found in agave microreservoirs and Mesocyclops leuckarti (Claus, 1857) found in reservoir with aquatic plants. For biodiversity evaluation of rotifers Margalef’s and Shannon-Wiener’s indexes were used and in order to determine species richness the Simpson index was calculated. Additionally, a complete list of all aquatic invertebrates is presented, i.e., Plathelmintes (11 species), Nemeretea (2 species), Oligochatea (13 taxa), Polychaeta (7 species), Gastrotricha (13 taxa) and Copepoda (1 species) previously recorded in Pozna´n Palm House. To sum up, Palm houses create a convenient habitat for a prevalence of native and introduced invertebrates and are a putative source of alien species, possibly facilitating their release to the environment.

Systematics of the Phyllognathopodidae (Copepoda, Harpacticoida): re-examination of Phyllognathopus viguieri (Maupas, 1892) and Parbatocamptus jochenmartensi Dumont and Maas, 1988, proposal of a new genus for Phyllognathopus bassoti Rouch, 1972, and description of a new species of Phyllognathopus

The family Phyllognathopodidae (Crustacea, Copepoda, Harpacticoida) is heavily affected by the floating taxonomic status of the type-genus Phyllognathopus. A revision of the different character states displayed by members of the family is presented, and new phylogenetically informative characters are described, enlarging the analysis to the remaining genera of the family, Parbatocamptus and Allophyllognathopus. Phyllognathopus viguieri (Maupas, 1892) and Parbatocamptus jochenmartensi Dumont and Maas, 1988 are redescribed in detail, and Phyllognathopus inexspectatus sp. n. is described from ground water in Italy. The new genus Neophyllognathopus is established to accommodate Phyllognathopus bassoti Rouch, 1972,originally collected from Long Island (Papua - New Guinea), and subsequently recorded also from the Bantayan Island (Philippines), and from the Indian subcontinent. The new genus is presently monotypic and is easily defined by the unique construction and morphology of leg 5 in both male and female, of male leg 6, and by the peculiar ornamentation of male third and fourth urosomites. Biogeographical and ecological considerations are presented for members of the family.

Spatial and temporal distribution of harpacticoid copepods in Mondego estuary

Seasonal and spatial variations in the composition and relative contribution of the harpacticoid species in the Mondego estuary (western Portugal) were studied based on a monthly sampling along a salinity gradient. These benthic harpacticoids were collected in the water column by means of a 63-µm plankton net. The influence of hydrological parameters (temperature, salinity, oxygen dissolved concentration, pH, turbidity, chlorophyll-a, total suspended solids and nutrient concentrations) was analysed by means of a redundancy data analysis. In addition, this is the first study to provide a checklist of benthic harpacticoids from this estuary. In total, 13 species plus six species not yet identified but known to belong to the genus Canuella, Microsetella, Ectinosoma, Mesochra, Harpacticus and Parapseudoleptomesochra were identified. Copepodites and adults of Euterpina acutifrons and Paronychocamptus nanus were most abundant in this harpacticoid community. While P. nanus dominated in winter and spring at upstream stations, E. acutifrons dominated more downstream. Although this species occurred along the whole salinity gradient, its highest abundances were found in the north arm of the estuary, except in autumn. This distribution may be due to the adaptability of E. acutifrons to different environments and the intermediate position between marine and estuarine conditions assigned to this species. Paraleptastacus cfr. spinicauda showed a relative occurrence of 5–10% in all stations, except at the mouth of the estuary (M). Tachidius discipes was found in low densities in Mondego estuary in spite of the large numbers of copepodites of this species in the southern arm, characterized by a high level of total suspended solids. The northern arm of the estuary was characterized by a higher numerical occurrence of harpacticoid organisms throughout the study years, with the higher densities towards the freshwater part (upstream areas). Canuella sp., Ectinosoma sp. (copepodite), Ectinosoma melaniceps, Leptocaris brevicornis, Phyllognathopus viguieri, Microsetella norvegica (copepodite) and Macrosetella gracilis (copepodite) were considered rare species. Nonetheless harpacticoid species were represented by a higher number of adults in the northern arm, and juveniles in the southern arm.

TWO NEW RECORDS OF HARPACTICOID COPEPODS FOR TURKISH INLAND WATERS (COPEPODA, HARPACTICOIDA) PHYLLOGNATHOPUS VIGUIERI (MAUPAS, 1892) AND LEPTOCARIS BREVICORNIS (VAN DOUWE, 1904)

The harpacticoid copepods, Phyllognathopus viguieri (Maupas, 1892) and Leptocaris brevicornis (Van Douwe, 1904) are reported for the first time from, respectively, the lakes Golbasi and Golkent. This is the first record of these two species for inland waters of Turkey. Males and females of Phyllognathopus viguieri and Leptocaris brevicornis were consistently found during two sampling periods. In addition, 13 other species of copepods species were found in the two lakes.

Cross-breeding experiments among different populations of the ?cosmopolitan? species Phyllognathopus viguieri (Copepoda: Harpacticoida)

Populations of harpacticoid copepods belonging to the family Phyllognathopodidae found on most continents are usually assignable to the taxon of Phyllognathopus viguieri, as it is presently diagnosed, on the basis of their morphological characters. This taxon has been considered as ‘cosmopolitan’ since the unifying revision of Lang in 1948. Here we reveal that Phyllognathopus viguieri is not a single biological species. Cross-breeding experiments with individuals from five different populations of Phyllognathopus viguieri obtained from Germany, Maryland and Florida in the USA, Jamaica, and Brazil indicated that two of these mutually distant populations were reproductively isolated from each other but crossed easily with others, whereas the other populations did not interbreed, with the exception of the two populations from the USA. From these results we conclude that Phyllognathopus viguieri is not a single cosmopolitan biological species. The high proportion of mutually non-reproducing populations identified in the five populations examined in this study indicate that further analysis of the micromorphology and genetic composition of populations over the entire putative range of Phyllognathopus viguieri will be necessary to clarify their interrelationships.

Attheyella (Canthosella) mervini sp.n. (Canthocamptidae, Harpacticoida) from Jamaican bromeliads

In phytotelmata of Jamaican bromeliads the harpacticoid copepods Epactophanes richardi Mrazek, 1893, Phyllognathopus viguieri (Maupas, 1892) and Attheyella (Canthosella) mervini sp. n. occurred. The new species conforms to the diagnosis of the subgenus, despite the fact that the endopods of legs 2–4 have retained more setae than in the species known for the Asian region. Attheyella (Canthosella) mervini lacks setae on the baseoendopod of leg 5, which is characteristic for neotropical Canthosella-species. We propose that Attheyella (Chappuisiella) kalima (Delachaux, 1924), Attheyella (Ch.) aliena Noodt, 1956, Elaphoidella siolii Kiefer, 1967, and Canthocamptus (Elaphoidella) striblingi Reid, 1990 be included in the subgenus Attheyella (Canthosella). Additionally, Attheyella (Chappuisiella) kalima of Dussart & Frutos, 1986 is included in this subgenus, but we propose the name Attheyella (Canthosella) pilagaensis sp.n., because the species as described differs from the original description of A. (C.) kalima (Delachaux, 1924).

Colonization of Jamaican Bromeliads by Tropocyclops jamaicensis n. sp. (Crustacea: Copepoda: Cyclopoida)

Tropocyclops jamaicensis n. sp. is the most numerous copepod and frequently the most numerous metazoan of phytotelmata in leaf axils of terrestrial bromeliads of the Cockpit Country, Jamaica. Distinctive apomorphies of this species, particularly the naked pediger 5 and the 2 setae on leg 5, necessitate emending the diagnosis of the genus Tropocyclops. Tropocyclops jamaicensis occurred in 63% of bromeliads sampled, but the next most numerous copepod, Ectocyclops phaleratus, occurred in 17.5%. In colonization experiments, T. jamaicensis, along with ostracodes and chironomid and mosquito larvae, invaded some plants within 2 to 5 weeks. After 13 weeks, 8 of 10 plants harbored populations of this copepod. Additional key words: ecology, phytotelmata, taxonomy, Antilles Phytotelmata are liquid secretions or precipitation stored in plants or plant structures, forming a temporary or permanent pool (Varga 1928). Phytotelmata can be found in tree holes, flowers of Heliconia spp., or leaf axils, for example (Fish 1983). Especially in the establishment of phytotelmata is fostered by a leaf arrangement that causes rainwater to be funneled toward the leaf axils (tank bromeliads, Smith 1989). Accumulated leaf litter derived from the canopy may build up a detritus layer or benthic zone, and visible water can be considered as a pelagic zone in these aquatic microcosms (Janetzky & Vareschi 1993). Copepods are commonly found in both terrestrial and arboreal and there are several reports from bromeliads in the Antilles. Laessle (1961) listed Ectocyclops phaleratus KOCH 1838, Elaphoidella sewelli (CHAPPUIS 1928), and Tropocyclops prasinus cf. mexicanus KIEFER 1938 in Jamaica. Maguire (1970) recorded Bryocyclops anninae (MENZEL 1925), Bryocyclops chappuisi KIEFER 1928, E. sewelli, and Phyllognathopus viguieri (MAUPAS 1892) in Puerto Rico. Reid (1993) described Fimbricyclops jimhensoni from Puerto Rico. The aim of this article is to provide results of experiments on the capacity of a new species of Tropocyclops to colonize phytotelmata of bromeliads in Jaa To whom correspondence should be addressed. maica, as well as to describe the species. Because the new species displays several unique apomorphies, we propose an emended diagnosis for the genus Tropocyclops.

Copepoda (Crustacea) from Fresh Waters of the Florida Everglades, U.S.A., with a Description of Eucyclops conrowae n. sp.

Copepoda (Crustacea) from Fresh Waters of the Florida Everglades, U.S.A., with a Description of Eucyclops conrowae n. sp.

In vivo culture and life cycle of Coelomomyces stegomyiae

In vivo culture of Coelomomyces stegomyiae has been attained by the identification and use of its definitive or alternate host, Phyllognathopus viguieri. The fungus may be readily cycled through this harpacticoid copepod and Aedes aegypti in small containers (e.g., 10-cm diameter Petri dishes). The resistant sporangia display a low level of meiosporangial release for an extended period, which results in an active infection system over relatively long intervals (> 3 months) without addition of new inoculum. This combination of characters makes C. stegomyiae a particularly attractive species for studies in both laboratory and field situations.

First records and a new species ofphyllognathopus(Copepoda; harpacticoida) in New Zealand

Summary The discovery in New Zealand of the harpacticoid Phyllognathopus viguieri is recorded, and a description of P. volcanicus sp. nov., from the sands of some lake beaches in North Island is given.