Copepod phylogenomics
Copepods are small, abundant crustaceans found across aquatic environments, including marine and freshwater plankton, sediments, and as symbionts or parasites of other aquatic organisms. Despite their ecological importance, the phylogenetic relationships among copepod taxa remain poorly resolved. This record focuses on the transcriptomic data of speciments belonging to two copepod orders, Cyclopoida (Parapseudocyclopinodes neglecta) and Harpacticoida (Alteutha interrupta), aiming to improve understanding of their evolutionary relationships within the broader copepod phylogeny. Phylogenetic analysis supports Cyclopoida and Harpacticoida as sister taxa, providing robust evidence for their close evolutionary relationship. These findings contribute to refining copepod taxonomy and highlight the utility of transcriptomic data for resolving copepod phylogeny.