A new pelagic Alteutha (Copepoda: Harpacticoida) from Potter Cove, King George Island, Antarctica - Description, ecology and information on its year round distribution

Abstract

A new harpacticoid copepod species was found during a year round plankton survey in a shallow Antarctic bay. Both the dominant Calanoida and Cyclopoida and the often neglected Harpacticoida, their abundances in relation to sea-ice formation and decline in presence of Euphausia superba are regarded, in this study. Alteutha potter sp. n. (Peltidiidae) was collected in Potter Cove, King George Island, Antarctica. While its geographical region occurrence and planktonic life style are comparable to many of its congeners, morphological characters such as shape and setation of the maxilliped and the almost complete fusion of the baseoendopod and the exopod of the fifth leg in the female are described for the first time for this genus. Morphological peculiarities such as the lack, the deformation or fusion of setae on only one body side have been detected in several specimens. This copepod species is obviously sea-ice related. Its abundances in the plankton reached a maximum under the winter sea-ice. The year round population structure did not show very high variability whereas ovigerous females mostly occurred in spring and summer. Assuming different possible ecological strategies and environmental temperatures generation times between 46 and 77 days are calculated for A. potter sp. n.