Suárez-Morales, E., C. Cruz-Gómez & G.A. Boxshall. (2024). A new genus of Herpyllobiidae (Copepoda: Cyclopoida) from a deep-living annelid (Polychaeta: Sigalionidae). Systematic Parasitology. 101(5):1-8.

490320

10.1007/s11230-024-10177-w [view]

Suárez-Morales, E., C. Cruz-Gómez & G.A. Boxshall

2024

101(5):1-8.

Publication

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A taxonomic study of deep-sea polychaetes collected at a depth of 2,805 m of the northern coast of California revealed a scaleworm of the family Sigalionidae with an attached parasitic copepod. The copepod represents an undescribed genus of the family Herpyllobiidae, comprising mesoparasitic copepods chiefy recorded from polychaetes of the family Polynoidae. Blakerius gen. nov. diverges from the other herpyllobiid genera by its possession of 1) a chalice-shaped ectosoma with several protuberances along the posterior margin and a long cylindrical shaft with a hyaline coating and integumental sculpturing, a short stalk with a small, anteriorly placed sclerotized ring, 2) a relatively large, discoid-shaped endosoma with digitiform process, and 3) attached male copepodids with 3-segmented antennules, containing limbless sac-like males. The new genus is compared with other herpyllobiids. This discovery increases the number of known herpyllobiid genera to six and is the frst record of a herpyllobiid parasitizing a sigalionid polychaete.

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