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Marine Planktonic Copepods
Pontella sp.A Silas & Pillai  Silas & Pillai, 1976   (F)
Taxonomy
Order Calanoida
Superfamily Diaptomoidea
Family Pontellidae

References

Silas & Pillai, 1973 (1976) (p.829, Descr.F, figs.F, Rem.)

Figures

Plate 1 issued from : E.G. Silas & P.P. Pillai in J. mar. biol. Ass. India, 1973 (1976), 15 (2). [p.830, Fig.24].
Female (from West coast of India): a, habitus (dorsal); b, urosome (dorsal); c, idem (lateral left side); d, forehead (lateral); e, rostrum (anterior view); f, P5.

Nota : Rostrum lacking in distinct lenses ; dorsal eye lenses rounded and placed wide apart ; ventral eye lens well developed. Head and Th1, separate, Th4 and Th5 separate ; posterior corners of Th5 modified into asymmetrical acuminate lobes, left side reaching middle of urosome while right lobe produced outwards, reaching proximal two-third length of urosome ; on dorsal view left lobe is longer than broad and with globular base, while right lobe is broader than long and with truncate base. Urosme 2-segmented, the suture separating urosomal segment 1 and urosomal segment 2 incomplete and hardly perceptible ; posterior margin of genital segment asymmetrically produced posterd, enveloping part of segment projects over caudal rami and almost fully right ramus ; in lateral view, postrior margin of genital segment projects over caudal rami as a ‘shield’ ; genital segment with its right lateral margin undulated an dits dorsal margin flattened with smooth indentations. Caudal rami small, with relatively short caudal setae. A1 24-segmented, reaching to posterior margin of last urosomal segment. P5 with exopod nearly 2.5 times longer than endopod.

Distribution

NZ: 1

Distribution map of Pontella sp.A by geographical zones


Localisations

off W & S India, off N Laccadive Is.

Quotations

N: 1

Dimensions (mm)

(256) F: 4,42-3,77; {F: 3,77-4,42}

Remarks

epipelagic.
According to Silas & Pillai (1973, p.831) this species differs markedly from all known species under the genus by the characteristic of the urosome, caudal rami and the proportional lengths of exopod/endopod of P5.
Last update : 29/01/2015

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