A new species of the genusSarsamphiascusHuys, 2009 (Copepoda: Harpacticoida: Miraciidae) from a sublittoral zone of Hawaii

Abstract

A new species ofSarsamphiascusHuys, 2009 was collected from sandy sediments of Hawaii at 12 –18 m depth. While the new species,Sarsamphiascus hawaiiensissp. nov., is morphologically most closely related toS. kawamurai(Ueda & Nagai, 2005), the two species can be distinguished by the combination of the following morphological characteristics: elongated segments of the antennule in the new species, type of outer setae of the P5 exopod (bare inS. kawamurai), position of the inner seta of the P5 exopod in both sexes (more proximal inS. kawamurai), length and type of the setae of female P6 (shorter and bare inS. kawamurai). This is the first species ofSarsamphiascusfrom Hawaii to be discovered. Molecular analyses of mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (mtCOI) and nuclear 18S ribosomal RNA (18S rRNA) genes confirmed thatS. hawaiiensisandS. kawamuraiare distinct species.