Heteropsyllus
- Dataset
- Two new Canthocamptidae (Copepoda, Harpacticoida) from sponges of the Kara and Laptev Seas
- Rank
- GENUS
Classification
- kingdom
- Animalia
- phylum
- Arthropoda
- class
- Maxillopoda
- order
- Harpacticoida
- family
- Canthocamptidae
- genus
- Heteropsyllus
description
In our opinion, the division of the male P 3 endopodite into pseudosegments, as well as the presence of a strongly modified outer seta into apophysis, is characteristic of the common ancestor of a large number of families in Cletodidimorpha Lang, 1948 sensu Kornev & Chertoprud, 2008, excluding the families Tetragonicipitidae Lang, 1944, Normanellidae Lang, 1944 and Cletopsyllidae Huys & Willems, 1989. Already within the various groups of Cletodidimorpha, secondary fusion of pseudosegments and reverse transformation of the modified outer seta probably occurred. It is quite possible that these are neotenic transformations, as in the family Laophontidae (Huys & Lee 2000). Such transformations can be traced even within the genus Heteropsyllus, where H. spongiophilus has the most pronounced dimorphism, with a large modified apophysis, and H. coreanus has a small, slightly displaced thin apophysis. Inside the Canthocamptidae, Heteropsyllus occupies one of the basal branches. We consider it highly likely that Heteropsyllus is a basal branch of the subfamily Hemimesochrinae. Thus, Huys and Thistle (1989) state that Heteropsyllus, unlike typical Hemimesochrinae, does not possess pineapple-setae; however, as can be seen in this description, highly similar setae are found on the distal segment of the female antennule and on several segments of the male antennule. There is also much in common between Hemimesochrinae and Heteropsyllus in the structure of the mouthparts. The maxillae have similarly shaped setae on endites, which, at first, are evenly thin, but then sharply taper to a fine tip. They are brought together by the characteristic structure of one of the setae on the middle endite of Heteropsyllus, which, in the species of the genus Mesopsyllus, has an even more modified appearance. The maxilliped claw in H. spongiophilus and M. glacialis has four large, long spines, although a similar structure is not observed in other Heteropsyllus species. Heteropsyllus differs from typical Hemimesochrinae in the absence of dimorphism in the structure of the P 4 endopodite. However, for complete clarity, qualitative descriptions of the morphology of other genera of Hemime- sochrinae, such as Hemimesochra Sars G. O., 1920 and especially Hanikraia Huys, 2009, are required.
Name
- Homonyms
- Heteropsyllus
- Heteropsyllus