Mesocletodes Sars, 1909a

Menzel, Lena, 2011, First descriptions of copepodid stages, sexual dimorphism and intraspecific variability of Mesocletodes Sars, 1909 (Copepoda, Harpacticoida, Argestidae), including the description of a new species with broad abyssal distribution, ZooKeys 96, pp. 39-80 : 41-42

Mesocletodes Sars, 1909a

Type species:

Mesocletodes irrasus (T. and A. Scott, 1894), (described as Cletodes irrasa )

Additional species:

Mesocletodes contains 37 species ( Boxshall and Halsey 2004; Menzel and George 2009; Wells 2007), including the type species and the herein described new species: Mesocletodes abyssicola (T. and A. Scott, 1901), Mesocletodes angolaensis Menzel and George, 2009, Mesocletodes bathybia Por, 1964b, Mesocletodes bicornis Menzel and George, 2009, Mesocletodes brevifurca Lang, 1936, Mesocletodes dolichurus Smirnov, 1946, Mesocletodes dorsiprocessus Menzel and George, 2009, Mesocletodes katharinae Soyer, 1964, Mesocletodes meteorensis Menzel and George, 2009, Mesocletodes monensis , Mesocletodes opoteros Por, 1986b, Mesocletodes quadrispinosa Schriever, 1985, Mesocletodes robustus Por, 1965, Mesocletodes soyeri Bodin, 1968, Mesocletodes ameliae Soyer, 1975, Mesocletodes arenicola Noodt, 1952, Mesocletodes bodini Soyer, 1975, Mesocletodes carpinei Soyer, 1975, Mesocletodes commixtus Coull, 1973, Mesocletodes duosetosus Schriever, 1985, Mesocletodes farauni , Mesocletodes faroerensis Schriever, 1985, Mesocletodes fladensis Wells, 1965, Mesocletodes glaber , Mesocletodes guillei Soyer, 1964, Mesocletodes inermis Sars, 1921, Mesocletodes irrasus , Mesocletodes kunzi Schriever, 1985, Mesocletodes langi Smirnov, 1946, Mesocletodes makarovi Smirnov, 1946, Mesocletodes parabodini Schriever, 1983, Mesocletodes parirrasus Becker, Noodt & Schriever, 1979, Mesocletodes sarsi Becker, Noodt & Schriever, 1979, Mesocletodes thieli Schriever, 1985, Mesocletodes trisetosa Schriever, 1983, Mesocletodes variabilis Schriever, 1983, Mesocletodes elmari sp. n.

Generic diagnosis

(amended from Sars 1909a and Soyer 1964): Body of cylindric form, distal edge of body somites with many spinules close to hyaline frill, integument thin and flexible. Cphth not longer than first 2 free prosomites together, rostrum small. Telson as long as 2 last urosomites together, square from lateral and ventral view. FR longer than wide, seta VII in the proximal third. A1 6-8-segmented in females, second segment with strong protrusion bearing 1 strong bipinnate seta pointing backwards. A2 with basis or allobasis, without abexopodal seta, exp at most 1-segmented with at most 2 setae. Md palpus with at most 1-segmented exp and enp, blades of gnathobase forming broad grinding face. Mxl palp enp segment incorporated into basis or absent, exp segment present, incorporated into basis or absent. Mx proximal endite with 1 seta. Mxp prehensile, with strong claw distally. P1-P4 exps 3-segmented, of P1 small, of P2-P4 long and slender. P1 exp3 with 4 setal elements, spines with STEs. P1-P4 enps at most biarticulate. P5 exp longer than wide, endopodal lobe barely protruding. 1 egg sack with 2-40 eggs.