A new species of Rhyncholagena Lang, 1944 (Copepoda, Harpacticoida, Miraciidae) from Palau

Abstract

A new species of Miraciidae Dana, 1846, Rhyncholagena cuspis sp. nov., was described from Palau. Morphological descriptions and gene fragment sequence barcoding were performed on the 11th species of Rhyncholagena Lang, 1944 collected from sandy sediment samples in the subtidal zone of the Philippine Sea, Palau. Morphological characteristics were compared and an updated identification key was provided. A new species, Rhyncholagena cuspis sp. nov., was found to be morphologically similar to Rhyncholagena littoralis Por, 1967 and R. bermudensis Malt, 1990. This is the first record of the genus Rhyncholagena in Palau. The study provides basic data for future studies and highlights the need for continued exploration of marine biodiversity in Palau and other regions.