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)¡¡