Calanopia elliptica
Dana (1849)
Download a fact sheet for Calanopia elliptica (PDF 369KB)
Taxonomy
| Phylum | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum | Crustacea |
| Class | Maxillopoda |
| Subclass | Copepoda |
| Order | Calanoida |
| Family | Pontellidae |
| Genus | Calanopia |
| Species | elliptica |
Size
- Female: 1.70 - 2.00 mm
- Male: 1.80 - 1.90 mm
Distinguishing characteristics
- Form of urosome somites
- Form of P5
- Male urosome somite 2 right side distal border with well defined tooth
Male
- Maxilliped with apical part 5 segmented
- P5 terminal segment of left exopod with a pad of fine hairs, pointed at distal end with 3 seta on the outer margin & a seta on the posterior side
- Flattened margin of the right exopodite segment 1 produced into 3 strong, blunt teeth, while the claw-like second segment has 3 small pointed teeth
Female
- Maxilliped with apical part 5 segmented
- Prosome nearly twice as long as the urosome
- Prosome points long
- P5 asymmetrical, left leg longer, each limb uniramous of 4 segments
- Urosome somite 2 as long as genital somite
- Caudal rami nearly 3 times as long as broad
Distribution
- Epipelagic, mesopelagic
- Coastal and oceanic; subtropical and tropical
- Indian and Pacific Oceans; confirmed for Atlantic off Georgia, USA
Ecology
- This copepod has been reported as part of several plankton communities, but little is known about its ecology
References
- Bradford-Grieve, J. M., (1999). The marine fauna of New Zealand: pelagic calanoid copepoda: Bathypontiidae, Arietellidae, Augaptilidae, Heterorhabdidae, Lucicutiidae, Metridinidae, Phyllopodidae, Centropagidae, Pseudodiaptomidae, Temoridae, Candaciidae, Pontellidae, Sulcanidae, Acartiidae, Tortanidae. National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research, Wellington, New Zealand.
- 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