Kim, J.G., K.H. Cho, S.M. Yoon & J.M. Lee. (2023). Taxonomic review of the genus Stenocaris Sars (Copepoda, Harpacticoida, Cylindropsyllidae), with (re)descriptions of two Stenocaris species from the Far East. PeerJ. 11: 1-38. e14623. Jan 2023.
Taxonomic review of the genus <i>Stenocaris</i> Sars (Copepoda, Harpacticoida, Cylindropsyllidae), with (re)descriptions of two <i>Stenocaris</i> species from the Far East.
The taxonomic concept of the genus Stenocaris Sars, 1909 is uncertain because none
of the synapomorphies for the species of Stenocaris are defined. Detailed comparison
of previous records of Stenocaris minor (T. Scott, 1892) from different localities
reveals that this species represents a species complex composed of two species, S.
minor s. str. and S. minor sensu Cottarelli & Venanzetti, 1989. Because the latter
species has fundamental differences in the nature of the fifth leg in females and the
sexual dimorphism of the second leg in males, we propose a new species for S. minor
sensu Cottarelli & Venanzetti, 1989, S. figaroloensis sp. nov. We also suggest that S.
minor sensu Apostolov, 1971, S. minor sensu Marinov, 1971, and S. minor sensu
Apostolov & Marinov, 1988 from the Black Sea and S. minor sensu Wilson, 1932
from North America should be relegated to species inquirenda in the genus.
Taxonomic review of the morphology of all Stenocaris species indicated that the
generic concept must be restricted to accommodate S. minor s. str., S. gracilis Sars,
1909, S. intermedia Itô, 1972, S. figaroloensis sp. nov., and the South Korean new
species, S. marcida sp. nov., based on the synapomorphic condition of the confluent
fifth leg in males. As a result of our analysis, two Stenocaris species, S. baltica Arlt,
1983 and S. pygmaea Noodt, 1955, are transferred to the genus Vermicaris Kornev &
Chertoprud, 2008 as V. baltica (Arlt, 1983) comb. nov. and V. pygmaea (Noodt,
1955) comb. nov. based on the synapomorphic characters of a reduced condition of
the second and fifth legs. Additionally, S. arenicola Wilson, 1932 and S. kliei (Kunz,
1938) are allocated to a new genus, Huysicaris gen. nov., mainly characterized by
obvious caudal rami with a recurved dorsal spinous process and convex inner
margins, as H. arenicola (Wilson, 1932) comb. nov. and H. kliei (Kunz, 1938) comb.
nov. A marine interstitial harpacticoid collected from the subtidal substrate off
Dok-do Island in the East Sea of South Korea is proposed as S. marcida sp. nov. and
the distribution of S. intermedia, originally known from its type locality in Japanese
waters only, is extended to the East Sea of Korea and Russia. We provide their detailed descriptions and illustrations and discuss the morphological characters
supporting their identities.
