Objectives:

to report the first record of C. sinaloensis for Colombia.

Scope:

to present a brief description of this material in order to support the identification of the newly found material.

Methodology:

Water samples were taken at Ciénaga Grande de Santa Marta Colombia using a 25 L bucket. Samples were filtered with a standard zoo plankton net (45 μm mesh) and fixed and preserved in 70% ethanol. Harpacticoid copepods were separated with a brush. Dissected specimens and appendages were mounted in glycerine. The dissected appendages were photographed using a Kodak Easy Share C140 digital camera adapted to a compound microscope at a magnification of 1000X.

Main results:

Cletocamptus sinaloensis seems to be closely related to C. levis Gómez 2005, known from Brazil. The closeness of these species was assumed based on the general shape and number of setae of the mandibular palp (one-segmented with three setae), P2-P4 EXP3 and ENP2 with 5-5-4 and 3-3-2 elements respectively, length: width ratio of the caudal rami, and ornamentation of the anal operculum with two rows of strong spinules. Nevertheless, they can be separated by 1) the armature complement of the antennal exopod, 2) length of the exopodal lobe of the female P5, 3) relative length of the P3ENP, 4) number of setae on the female P6.

Conclusions:

The specimen from Colombia bears the diagnostic features of C. sinaloensis as originally described, but shows subtle differences in the length of P1ENP, shape of seminal receptacle and relative length of P6.

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