Marbefia

Two females and a male (right) of the new genus Marbefia. The male copepod is slightly shorter and has modified antennules which are used to clasp onto the female during mating.

A new genus of benthic harpacticoid copepod has been named Marbefia to honour the outstanding contributions of MarBEF to our knowledge of marine biodiversity. Marbefia is a small, slender copepod, with a female body length of about 0.7 mm. It is highly ornamented, with a dense covering of fine hairs. Marbefia is currently known from the Southern North Sea and the Isles of Scilly.