First record and redescription of Tisbella pulchella (Copepoda: Harpacticoida) from the eastern tropical Pacific

Abstract

SPECIMENS OF THE GENUS TISBELLA GURNEY, 1927 WERE FOUND DURING A SERIES OF SAMPLING CAMPAIGNS IN 2 BRACKISH SYSTEMS IN SOUTHERN SINALOA (NORTH-WESTERN MEXICO). THE SPECIMENS WERE IDENTIFIED AS TISBELLA PULCHELLA (WILSON, 1932), A SPECIES OF HARPACTICOID COPEPOD ORIGINALLY DESCRIBED FROM MATERIAL COLLECTED FROM THE WOODS HOLE REGION (USA) AND FOUND ALSO IN THE BERMUDA ISLANDS. A THOROUGH COMPARISON BETWEEN THE MATERIAL COLLECTED IN MEXICAN COASTAL SYSTEMS IN THE EASTERN TROPICAL PACIFIC AND PREVIOUS REDESCRIPTIONS OF THE TYPE MATERIAL IS PRESENTED. IT IS SHOWN THAT THE ONLY DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE MOST ACCURATE AND DETAILED REDESCRIPTION AVAILABLE AND THE PRESENT DESCRIPTION IS IN THE NUMBER OF SETAE OF THE ARTHRITE AND PALP OF THE MAXILLULE, AND IN THE NUMBER OF ACCESSORY SETAE OF THE MAXILLIPED. SOME NOTES ON THE BIOGEOGRAPHY OF THE SPECIES ARE PRESENTED AND IT IS CONCLUDED THAT T. PULCHELLA IS THE MOST WIDELY DISTRIBUTED SPECIES WITHIN THE GENUS.