Kochanova E.S., Fefilova E.B. 2017. Morphological variability and teratology of Palearctic freshwater Harpacticoida (Crustacea: Copepoda) // Invertebrate Zoology. Vol.14. No.2: 148–153 [in English].
Institute of Biology of Komi Scientific Centre of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Kommunisticheskaya, 28, Syktyvkar 167982, Russia. E-mail: Ko4anova@mail.ru
ABSTRACT: The variability of morphological characteristics of ten populations of the freshwater harpacticoid species Canthocamptus staphylinus are described. The most variable morphometric indices (ratios of length-to-width of caudal rami and spines on the fifth leg exopod), body size, and important quantitative morphological characters (the number of spinules on the anal operculum) have been analyzed. The morphological variability of Bryocamptus (Arcticocamptus) cuspidatus, Moraria insularis, and M. mrazeki has been studied as well. Data on teratology like body asymmetry, deformations of morphological structures and transsexual mutations have been summarized for: Atthyella (Neomrazekiella) nordenskjoldi, A. (N.) northumbrica trisetosa, Pesceus schmeili and C. staphylinus. These variations and abnormalities in the studied specimens are assumed to be caused by geographical isolation of populations and different environmental conditions.
doi: 10.15298/invertzool.14.2.08
KEY WORDS: Harpacticoida, Copepoda, Canthocamptus staphylinus, morphological variability, morphological abnormalities, teratology.