Amendment of the status of Pontella sewelli Heinrich, 1987 as a junior synonym of P. sinica Chen & Zhang, 1965, with confirmation of female-male matching by genetic analysis (Copepoda, Calanoida)

Abstract

Specimens of Pontella sinica Chen & Zhang, 1965, that were collected for the first time from the eastern Indian Ocean, are described, and a revised synonymy of the species is presented, including an amendment of P. sewelli Heinrich, 1987 as a junior synonym of P. sinica. The present specimens agree with most of the previous descriptions except for the frontal, rostral, and/or ventral eye lenses, which have been described as present in some previous studies, but proved to be all absent in the present examination. In addition, an analysis applying mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (mt COI) as a genetic marker confirmed matching of the female and male that were morphologically described by previous workers.