A new species and new geographic records of Monstrilla (Copepoda: Monstrilloida) from the Philippines

Abstract

Specimens of a monstrilloid copepod of the genus Monstrilla collected (1908) by the U.S. Fisheries steamer Albatross in the Sulu Sea, west coast of Mindanao, Philippines, and deposited in the U.S. National Museum of Natural History were taxonomically restudied. Specimens were originally identified as females of Cymbasoma longispinosum Bourne, 1890, by C. B. Wilson. Reexamination revealed that besides a single female of C. longispinosum, three other specimens were present in the same vial. One of these was identified as a new species of Monstrilla and is described herein. The new species can be distinguished by a combination of characters but mainly by having very long antennules and a bilobed fifth leg with two long setae on each lobe. The other two individuals are females of M. elongata Suarez-Morales, 1994. This species has been previously recorded only from the Caribbean Sea. This record in the Philippines represents a significant range extension for this species. This one and the new species represent an interesting addition to the Asiatic monstrilloid fauna. Regional records of Monstrilla in the Far East are also presented herein. The Philippines and east Indonesia seem to be the most speciose areas for this genus in the entire region.