Marbefia

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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.[1]



References


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.

The first individuals of Marbefia were wrongly described by Hammond in 1968 as Pseudonychocamptus carthyi. Since 1968 this species was recorded only once more in literature and the male has remained unknown.

MarBEF scientists now recognised that this species actually makes up a whole new genus of benthic harpacticoid copepods and have named it Marbefia to honour the outstanding contributions of MarBEF to our knowledge of marine biodiversity. The

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. It displays several sexual dimorphisms. Marbefia is currently known from the Southern North Sea and the Isles of Scilly.[1]



References