A new species of the genus Echinolaophonte Nicholls, 1941 (Copepoda, Harpacticoida, Laophontidae) from the Aegean Sea coast of Turkey

Abstract

During the ongoing partial taxonomic revision of the genus Echinolaophonte on the basis of populations previously collected from various shores of the Turkish coasts, a new species of Echinolaophonte was discovered and named Echinolaophonte mordoganensis sp. nov. The new species is morphologically most closely related to E. minuta and E. veniliae. The new species can easily be distinguished from its congeners by the combination of the following features: i) the shape of the rostrum, ii) having 2 ornamented setae instead of 1 on the syncoxa of the maxilliped, and iii) pattern difference in the P1?P4 setal formula in both male and female. The phylogenetic position of the new species in the genus has also been briefly discussed.