Common harpacticoid copepods from New Zealand harbours and estuaries

Abstract

Ten harpacticoid species form the most abundant elements of the meiobenthic copepod fauna of mud and fine sand sediments in a number of New Zealand harbours and estuaries from Otago to Northland. By its intermediate nature Miscegenus heretaunga n.gen. & sp. cannot be accommodated within known genera of Diosaccidae. The quinque- spinosa-group of Heterolaophonte is raised to generic rank as Quinquelaophonte n.gen., and Q. candelabrum n.sp. is described. The new species Halectinosoma otakoua, H. hydrofuge, Parastenhelia megarostrum, Enhydrosoma variabile, and Paralaophonte aenigmaticum are described. Mesochra parva and Parastenhelia homelli are recorded from New Zealand for the first time. Keys and/or detailed character tables are given for Parastenhelia, Paralaophonte, and Quinquelaophonte. A possible phylogeny for the Amphiascus-related genera of Diosaccidae is proposed.

Keywords:

• Copepoda
• Harpacticoida
• meiofauna
• intertidal zone
• new taxa
• identification keys