Normanellidae, Lang, 1944

Wells, J. B. J., 2007, An annotated checklist and keys to the species of Copepoda Harpacticoida (Crustacea), Zootaxa 1568 (1), pp. 1-872 : 573

Family Normanellidae

Several species of Normanella have been considered as having a wide geographic distribution and a high degree of variability. In revising the family, Lee & Huys (1999b) dismiss this concept and conclude that “it is obvious that only a small fraction of the actual number of species has been discovered” (p. 201). They consign several current species to the status of species inquirenda and state that many records of known taxa cannot be substantiated.

Since species in this family often are distinguished by relatively small differences in body ornamentation and in proportions of the appendages, and since many records are now considered doubtful, any determination must be checked against the best available description.

See Lee & Huys (1999b) for a discussion of the validity of Normanella semitica , N. quarta and N. serrata , which they consider as species inquirendae; they are not included in these keys.