A new genus and species of a Cyclopoid Copepod parasitic on a starfish

Abstract

Humes and Cressey (1958) created the family Stellicomitidae to include two new genera, namely, Stellicomes and Onycopygus which are parasitic on different genera of starfishes (vide Humes & Creissey loc. cit.) collected from the coasts of West Africa and Madagascar (Republique Malgache). Under the genus Stellicomes, two new species S. tumidulus and S. guineensis and under the genus Onycopygus a single species O. impavidus were described. To my knowledge no other genera and species have so far been added to the family. StelliconMtids are peculiarly modified siphonostomatous cyclopoids characterised by the presence of a highly reduced siphon. They appear to be exclusively parasitic on starfishes. The form described in this paper does not correspond to any of the known forms and hence is treated here as a new genus. It is interesting to note that there are morphological gradations between the tf/o known genera and the present form. It may be added here that it is obtained along with the two species of the genus Stellicomes. The latter are reported here for the first time after their discovery from the African Coasts.