A new species of benthopelagic calanoid copepod of the genus Bradyidius Giesbrecht, 1897 (Calanoida: Aetideidae) from New Zealand

Abstract

A new species of benthopelagic calanoid Copepoda is described from New Zealand. The species, Bradyidius capax n. sp. (Family: Aetideidae), is the second species of this genus to be recorded from New Zealand. B. capax females are close toB. armatus Giesbrecht, 1897 and B. rakuma (Zvereva, 1977). B. capax differs from these two species by a combination of its small size, hardly divergent rostral points, fusion line between pedigerous somites 4 and 5 not visible, posterior corners of pedigerous somite 5 directed straight posteriorly (not divergent in dorsal view), seminal receptacles occupy 57% of length of genital double somite measured ventrally, and antennal exopod segment 1 with small seta. The distribution of B. spinifer Bradford, 1969 is extended along the continental slope of north‐eastern New Zealand and some features previously undescribed, are illustrated.

Keywords:

• Copepoda
• Calanoida
• Aetideidae
• Bradyidius capax
• Bradyidius spinifer
• benthopelagic
• new species