New records of benthic harpacticoids from Korea: I. Three new species of the genus Zosime Boeck (Copepoda: Harpacticoida: Zosimeidae)

Abstract

Taxonomic studies of benthic harpacticoids from sublittoral habitats in the Southern Sea of Korea were performed. Three new species belonging to the genus Zosime Boeck, 1873 were discovered: Zosime comata sp. nov., Z. changi sp. nov., and Z. gymnokosmosa sp. nov. They all belong to the typica group, which is characterized by diagnostic female features of a mandibular exopod with three setae, leg 5 fused with baseoendopod bearing an exopodal seta arising from the anterior surface, and elongate caudal rami with a length more than 1.6 times its width. These three new species unusually have only two outer spines on the distal exopodal segments of legs 1-4, a character is unique in the genus except for Z. bathyalis Por, 1967, in contrast to the three outer spines on the corresponding segments in other congeners. However, the three new species can be distinguished from Z. bathyalis and each other by body ornamentation, segmentation of the female antennule, setation of the distal endopodal segment on legs 2-4, and an endopodal lobe on leg 5 in both sexes. Detailed descriptions and illustrations of these three new Zosime species are provided.