A new species ofCletocamptus(Copepoda: Harpacticoida) from Chile and some notes onCletocamptus axiMielke, 2000

Abstract

Some specimens of Cletocamptus were found in Salar de Surire (Chilean Andean plateau) during two sampling trips in October 2004 and October 2005. Although the Chilean material was preliminarily identified as C. axi, after careful inspection, it was clearly a new Chilean Cletocamptus species, C. cecsurirensis. The new species was found to be similar to C. levis, C. sinaloensis, C. fourchensis, C. deborahdexterae, and C. axi in the combination of the armature formula of the mandibular palp, shape of the lateral spinulose element of the maxillulary arthrite, and armature formula of P1-P4. Cletocamptus cecsurirensis and C. levis can be distinguished from C. sinaloensis, C. fourchensis, and C. deborahdexterae by the P1 EXP:ENP length ratio. Cletocamptus cecsurirensis and C. levis can be separated by the P5 baseoendopod:EXP length ratio. Cletocamptus cecsurirensis shows the sexual dimorphism typical for the genus. The new species also shows sexual dimorphism in the rostrum, similar to that found for C. retrogressus, C. albuquerquensis, and C. levis.A complete description of the new Chilean species and some amendments to the original description of C. axi are given.

A new species of Cletocamptus Schmankewitsch, 1875 (Crustacea, Copepoda, Harpacticoida) from a high altitude saline lake in Central Mexico

“…In Mexico, Cletocamptus has been reported from a freshwater sinkhole in the Yucatan peninsula, with a limited marine influence (Suárez-Morales et al, 1996) and from a coastal lagoon and estuarine areas of Sinaloa (Gómez et al, 2004). The finding of a species of Cletocamptus in a highaltitude lake in Central Mexico (>2300 m) and more than 100 km inland is noteworthy; only C. cecsurirensis is known from high altitude, more than 4000 m asl (Gómez et al, 2007). Cletocamptus deboradexterae is known from lake Salton (Gómez et al, 2004), a shallow, saline endorrheic flood lake in Southern California; general conditions are similar to Alchichica, although salinity is much higher in Salton sea (40 g L -1 vs 8-9 g L -1…”

“…There is only one species known from a full freshwater habitat, (i.e. a freshwater stream in Chile): C. cecsurirensis Gómez, Sheihing andLabarca, 2007 (Boxshall andDefaye, 2008;Gómez et al, 2007). In Mexico, Cletocamptus has been reported from a freshwater sinkhole in the Yucatan peninsula, with a limited marine influence (Suárez-Morales et al, 1996) and from a coastal lagoon and estuarine areas of Sinaloa (Gómez et al, 2004).…”

“…Members of this genus are usually related to estuaries, coastal and beach lagoons, but they are also known from brackish water and even hypersaline habitats (Mielke, 2000;Gómez et al, 2004Gómez et al, , 2007. There is only one species known from a full freshwater habitat, (i.e.…”

“…in Alchichica or at 4000 m in Salar de Surire, Northern Chile. Gómez et al (2007) did not comment on the habitat features related to C. cecsurirensis or on its unexpected presence in these conditions. In Alchichica, it could represent a derivate of a relict population stranded after glaciation periods as other freshwater copepods in the central region of Mexico (Granados-Ramírez and Suárez-Morales, 2003).…”

“…Recent revisionary works by Mielke (2000), Gómez et al (2004), and Gómez (2005), proved that the genus is more diverse than previously known, containing several cryptic species historically assigned to supposedly cosmopolitan species like C. deitersi (Richard, 1897). Gómez et al (2007) and Gómez and Gee (2009) concluded that there are currently 23 valid species in Cletocamptus. Overall, the lack of information on key characters for many species and the morphological variability of some of them have generated hesitation among taxonomists, particularly in classifying closely related forms (Gómez and Gee, 2009).…”