A new family of cyclopoid copepods (Ozmanidae) parasitic in the hemocoel of a snail from the brazilian amazon

Abstract

A new genus and species, Ozmana haemophila, is described as representative of a new family of cyclopoid copepods parasitic in the hemocoel of a species of mesogastropod snail: Pomacea maculata Perry, collected from several localities near Manaus, Brazil. This is the first parasitic copepod ever recorded from a freshwater invertebrate. The body form, oral appendages, and thoracic appendages of this new copepod are highly modified making the recognition of its ordinal affinities difficult. However, the possession of a geniculate first antenna in the male seems to suggest that it is a member of Cyclopoida. The phylogeny of this new family is discussed based on a newly obtained cladogram. © 1989 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.