A new marine cyclopoid species of the rarely known genus Cyclopinopsis (Copepoda, Cyclopinidae) from Korea

Abstract

A new species belonging to the genus Cyclopinopsis Smirnov, 1935 (Cyclopinidae) is described from Korea, as the third member of the genus. Specimens were collected by washing the subtidal sediments off Dogdo Island in the East Sea (= the Japan Sea) and the intertidal sands at Baegripo beach, Taean Peninsula on the Yellow Sea coast. Cyclopinopsis deformata n. sp. is characteristic and distinguished in having an additional seta on the outer distal corner of the posterior surface of the third exopodal segment of leg 4 from its two congeneric species currently recognized: C. curticauda Smirnov, 1935 and C. brasiliensis Herbst, 1955. The seta is supposed to be deformed from an outer distal spine on the third exopodal segment of leg 4, which has been known as completely lost in the genus until now. A character comparison table of the three species as well as a key to species in the genus Cyclopinopsis are provided herein.