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UTAS Home > IMAS Home > Image Key > Copepoda > Harpacticoida >  Euterpina acutifrons

Euterpina acutifrons

Dana (1847)

Download a fact sheet for Euterpina acutifrons (PDF 1.05MB)

Taxonomy

Phylum Arthropoda
Subphylum Crustacea
Class Maxillopoda
Subclass Copepoda
Order Harpacticoida
Family Euterpinidae
Genus Euterpina
Species acutifrons

Size

  • Female: 0.50 - 0.75 mm
  • Male: 0.50 - 0.56 mm

Distinguishing characteristics

  • Distinctive body shape
  • Rostrum is stout, anterior of cephalosome is sharply pointed

Male

  • Body similar in shape to female
  • Both A1 geniculate; 4th and 5th segments are fused and much thickened; 6th and 7th are fused
  • A2 expopod well developed
  • Both rami of P1 2 segmented
  • P5 symmetrical and rudimentary

Female

  • Rostrum is stout, anterior of cephalosome is sharply pointed
  • A1 7 segmented
  • P5 symmetrical, 1 segmented

Distribution

  • Epipelagic, cosmopolitan
  • Coastal, neritic
  • Australian distribution includes New South Wales, Great Barrier Reef and Tasmania
  • World distribution: widespread in tropical and subtropical waters of all oceans.
  • Species is not found in the Arctic or Antarctic Oceans

Ecology

  • Principally inshore marine species but can tolerate a wide range of salinities
  • Non-selective herbivores
  • Female carries single egg sack
  • Generation times range from 23 ¨C 85 days; length of time relates to water temperature and food availability

References

  • Conway DVP, White, R.G., Hugues-Dit-Ciles, J., Gallienne, C.P. and Robins, D.B. (2003). Guide to the coastal and surface zooplankton of the south-western Indian Ocean, Vol Occasional Publications No. 15. Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom.
  • Razouls C., de Bovée F., Kouwenberg J. et Desreumaux N., 2005-2009. Diversity and Geographic Distribution of Marine Planktonic Copepods. Available at http://copepodes.obs-banyuls.fr/en
  • Taw and Ritz (1979)¡¡