Cepolacanthus kimi, a new genus and species of copepod (Cyclopoida: Taeniacanthidae) parasitic on Bandfish Acanthocepola abbreviata (Valenciennes, 1835) (Actinopterygii: Cepolidae) caught off the Iraqi coast.
A new genus and species, Cepolacanthus kimi, of the family Taeniacanthidae is established based on adult female specimens collected from the gills of Bandfish Acanthocepola abbreviata (Valenciennes, 1835) (Actinopterygii: Perciformes: Cepolidae) caught off the coast of Iraq. The new genus is characterised by the following combination of features: 1) the urosome is composed of five somites, with the last urosomite probably being a compound somite formed from the failure of the third and fourth abdominal somites to separate; 2) the seta on the maxillary basis is displaced proximally from the free spinulated element; 3) the terminal claw (endopod) of the maxilliped is long and attenuate; 4) the endopod of legs 2-4 is 2-segmented; and 5) the terminal exopodal segment of leg 4 bears a prominent distolateral protuberance. Cepolacanthus kimi gen. et sp. nov. is the first copepod reported from A. abbreviata and the second taeniacanthid species recorded from the Iraqi coast. A new replacement name, Suncheonacanthus nom. nov., is proposed for the preoccupied generic name, Triacanthus Kim & Moon, 2013.
Institute for Phylogenomics and Evolution, Kyungpook National University, Buk-gu, Daegu 41566, Korea.; Email: bavmaran@gmail.com.
Balu Alagar Venmathi
BA
Maran
Southeast Sea Fisheries Research Institute, National Fisheries Research & Development Institute, Tongyeong 53085, Korea.; Email: msy7744@korea.kr.
Seong Yong
SY
Moon
Department of Fisheries and Marine Resources, College of Agriculture, University of Basrah, Basrah, Iraq.; Email: addayt@yahoo.com.
Thamir Katea
TK
Adday
Environmental Laboratory and Ocean Monitoring Division, Orange County Sanitation District, 10844 Ellis Avenue, Fountain Valley, California 92708-7018, U.S.A.; Email: copepods@gmail.com.
Danny
D
Tang
D000818:Animals; D033342:Copepoda / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000145:classification* / Q000502:physiology*; D004478:Ectoparasitic Infestations / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary*; D005260:Female; D005393:Fish Diseases / Q000469:parasitology*; D005880:Gills / Q000469:parasitology; D007493:Iraq; D010473:Perciformes / Q000469:parasitology*