A new species of diaptomid copepod from Saskatchewan with notes on the crustacean community of the pond

Abstract

Diagnosis of a new species of freshwater copepod of the subgenus Leptodiaptomus is presented. The new species was found in a western Saskatchewan pond with three other Diaptomus species, one cyclopoid copepod, eight cladocerans, one conchostracan, and one ostracode. All of the diaptomid copepods were found to be ovigerous at the same time and few nauplii were found at this time. It seems likely that different food niches, different reproductive rates, and reduced selective pressures in the pond are the most important mechanisms permitting the co-occurreace of four Diaptomus species.