Ectinosomatidae, Sars, 1903

Wells, J. B. J., 2007, An annotated checklist and keys to the species of Copepoda Harpacticoida (Crustacea), Zootaxa 1568 (1), pp. 1-872 : 380

Family Ectinosomatidae

Cautionary Note on the genera Ectinosoma , Halectinosoma , Bradya and Pseudobradya . Great care must be taken in using the keys that involve these genera. All are in urgent need of a revision that is hindered by the lack of type material and by the fact that some unverifiable descriptions undoubtedly contain important errors.

These genera have become less well differentiated as the number of species has increased and it is highly probable that some species have been assigned to the wrong genus, and that a few will require new genera to be erected to accommodate them. Huys, Gee, Moore & Hamond (1996) go so far as to state that “identification of many species within the genera Pseudobradya , Halectinosoma and Ectinosoma is just not possible at present”.

I have no doubt they are correct, but believe that the following key at least will assist users to associate their material with a published description, or set of descriptions, that seem to most resemble their material— but I do plead that a definite identification to a known species is recorded only if authors are totally convinced they are correct.