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New findings of a rare bentho-pelagic copepod Mesaiokeras hurei Kršinić, 2003

The small-size copepod Mesaiokeras hurei Kršinić, 2003, was recorded for the first time in the Kotor Bay (Montenegro) in October 2018. This is the second finding of this species in the Mediterranean Sea, as well as generally in the world. It had been found before only in an isolated marine lake on the southern Adriatic island of Mljet (Croatia). The mono-generic family Mesaiokeratidae (Copepoda: Calanoida) is exclusively bentho-pelagic and comprises nine small hyperbenthic species. In the Kotor Bay. M. hurei was found in the depression of 63 m depth which slopes down from a depth of about 20 m. Samples were taken with a 5-L Niskin bottle, each 5 m from the surface to 60 m depth. M. hurei was noted below 40 m, and abundances increased toward the bottom with a maximum of 13 ind. L-1. An average value for 40-60 m depth layer was 4.40±4, 93 ind. L-1. We assume that M. hurei could be a common species of specific coastal depression with stable hy-drographic conditions. The small size and specific habitats could be the main reason for lack of knowledge of the copepods in the Mediterranean Sea.

Mesaiokeratidae ; hyperbenthic species ; Adriatic Sea ; Mediterranean species

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