Mecynocera clausi
I.C. Thomson (1888)
Download a fact sheet for Mecynocera clausi (PDF 316KB)
Taxonomy
| Phylum | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum | Crustacea |
| Class | Maxillopoda |
| Subclass | Copepoda |
| Order | Calanoida |
| Family | Mecynoceridae |
| Genus | Mecynocera |
| Species | clausi |
Size
- Female: 0.92 – 1.21 mm
- Male: 0.94 – 1.12 mm
Distinguishing characteristics
- Spermathecae obvious and nearly spherical
- A1 extends well beyond caudal rami in females
Male
- A1 extends beyond caudal rami by 1-2 segments and is not geniculate
- Dorsal cephalic hump present
- P1 Enp 1 segmented
- P1-P4 segmentation as for female
- P5 uniramous, 5 segmented, asymmetrical, right leg is longer
- Right P5 inner border hairy, terminal segments on both sides with a stout terminal spine and short disto lateral spinule
- Genital pore on right side
Female
- A1 twice as long as body with elongate setae on many of the segments
- P1 has a 3 segmented exopod and 1 segmented endopod
- P2-4 almost identical, exopods and endopods 3 segmented
- P5 uniramous, symetrical, 5 segmented
- Spermathecae obvious and nearly spherical
Distribution
- Epipelagic
- Predominantly oceanic, can occur in estuarine and coastal areas
- Australian distribution includes Western Australia, Great Barrier Reef, North West Cape and Tasmania
- World distribution: widespread in tropical, subtropical and temperate waters of all oceans
- Also found in sub-Antarctic waters
Ecology
- More abundant on Great Barrier Reef during winter (August) than summer (January – March)
- Found in Tasmania throughout the year
- Herbivorous
References
- Boxshall, G. A. and S. H. Halsey (2004). "An introduction to copepod diversity." Ray Society Publications 166: i-xv, 1-966.
- Bradford-Grieve, J. M. (1994). The marine fauna of New Zealand: Pelagic Copepoda: Megacalanidae, Calanidae, Paracalanidae, Mecynoceridae, Eucalanidae, Spinocalanidae, Clausocalanidae. National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research, Wellington, New Zealand.
- Bradford-Grieve, J. M., E. L. Markhaseva, et al. (1999). Copepoda. South Atlantic Zooplankton. D. Boltovskoy. Leiden, The Netherlands, Backhuys Publishers. 1: 869-1098.
- Mckinnon, A. D., S. Duggan, et al. (2005). "Mesozooplankton dynamics in nearshore waters of the Great Barrier Reef." Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science 63(4): 497-511.
- 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 & Ritz (1978)