Odontomolgus mucosus Kim, 2006

Cheng, Yu-Rong, Ho, Ming-Jay & Dai, Chang-Feng, 2016, Four anchimolgid copepods (Poecilostomatoida: Anchimolgidae) associated with the scleractinian coral Pavona explanulata (Lamarck, 1816) in Taiwan, Zootaxa 4174 (1), pp. 274-290 : 285

Odontomolgus mucosus Kim, 2006

( Fig. 7 )

New host. Pavona explanulata ( Lamarck, 1816) (family Agariciidae ).

Locality in host. Surface of colony.

Locality. Off Yenliao, Taiwan.

Material examined. Seven females and two males obtained from washings of a coral colony collected at five m depth on 12 August 2010.

Remarks. Kim (2006) recently described two new species, O. mucosus and O. unioviger , based on specimens associated with the scleractinian coral, Gardineroseris planulata ( Dana, 1846) collected in the Moluccas. The differences between these species include (1) the shape of the genital double-somite of the female, (2) the size of the caudal ramus, and (3) the size of the free segment (exopod) of leg 5 in the female. The body form of the female and male specimens collected from the coral P. explanulata in Taiwanese coastal waters are similar to those of the two species collected from the Moluccas ( Fig. 7 A, H). A similar concordance can also be observed in the antennule ( Fig. 7 B), mandible ( Fig. 7 C), maxilla ( Fig. 7 E), and maxilliped ( Fig. 7 F). However, slight differences were noted between the Taiwanese and the Moluccan material, particularly in body size, the ornamentation of the maxillulary setae and leg 5 exopod, and in the dimensions of the caudal ramus and leg 5 ( Table 2 ). Such minute dissimilarities probably reflect local variation in geographically separated populations rather than providing evidence for specific distinctiveness. Pending analysis of molecular sequence data the Taiwanese and Moluccan specimens are considered conspecific despite the different coral hosts they utilize.

Figures

FIGURE 7. Odontomolgus mucosus Kim, 2006 (female: A – G; male: H – I). A, habitus, dorsal; B, antennule; C, mandible; D, maxillule; E, maxilla; F, maxilliped; G, leg 5; H, habitus, dorsal; I, male, maxilliped. Scale bars: A, H = 0.2 mm; B = 0.04 mm; C – F = 0.02 mm; G, I = 0.05 mm.