Abstract
A review of the present state of knowledge on the octopicolid copepods (Octopicolidae: Octopicola Humes, 1957) is presented. Characteristic morphological features are illustrated with scanning electron micrographs of Octopicola superba superba Humes, 1957. Comparative morphology analysis led to the conclusion that there is sufficient evidence to justify raising the two subspecies of O. superba to full species rank. A new identification key for the four species of Octopicola Humes, 1957, i.e. O. superba Humes, 1957, O. antillensis Stock, Humes & Gooding, 1963, O. stocki Humes, 1963 and O. regalis Humes, 1974, is proposed after evaluation of the morphological characters which vary more markedly between them. Among other characters, these species differ in the ornamentation of the third antennal segment, maxilla and male maxilliped. They are further distinguished by a combination of several character states concerning the fifth pedigerous somite.
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Acknowledgements
Completion of this manuscript was aided by grants from the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology and European Social Fund (to FIC) (SFRH/BD/65258/2009) and the Paramitas Foundation (to JSH). This work was partially funded by the Project AQUAIMPROV (reference NORTE-07-0124-FEDER-000038), co-financed by the North Portugal Regional Operational Programme (ON.2–O Novo Norte), under the National Strategic Reference Framework (NSRF), through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF); and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) through the COMPETE—Operational Competitiveness Programme and national funds through FCT—Foundation for Science and Technology, under the projects PEst-C/MAR/LA0015/2013, DIRDAMyx FCOMP-01-0124-FEDER-020726 (FCT—PTDC/MAR/116838/2010). We are also grateful to J. Méndez and I. Pazos (CACTI, University of Vigo) for their technical assistance in electron microscopy study.
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Cavaleiro, F.I., Ho, JS., Iglesias, R. et al. Revisiting the octopicolid copepods (Octopicolidae: Octopicola Humes, 1957): comparative morphology and an updated key to species. Syst Parasitol 86, 77–86 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11230-013-9431-x
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11230-013-9431-x