Copytus novaezealandiae ( Brady, 1898 )

Coimbra, João Carlos, Bergue, Cristianini Trescastro & Ramos, Maria Inês Feijó, 2020, Is Copytus Skogsberg, 1939 (Crustacea: Ostracoda) a neocytherideid? With description of a new family and two new species, Zootaxa 4729 (2), pp. 177-194 : 182-183

Copytus novaezealandiae ( Brady, 1898) or Neocytherideis novaezealandiae ( Brady, 1898) ?

This species has been synonymised by Swanson (1969, 1979a,b) and Eagar (1971) without reason or discussion with Copytus rara McKenzie, 1967 . The first species (l = 0.88 mm), originally Cytherideis novaezealandiae , was recovered from Lyttleton Harbour ( New Zealand) and Brady’s illustrations (figs. 1, 2) show that it is relatively well-rounded anteriorly and very well-rounded posteriorly. Thus, it does not seem to be conspecific with C. rara , a species that is pointed anteroventrally and larger (l = 0.95 mm). John Neil (lit. comm. to J.C.C. 2009), however, comments: “My own specimens of C. novaezealandiae ( C. rara ) are definitely adont, and have a Neocytherideis muscle scar pattern of four adductors in a vertical row with a curved frontal scar”.

Morley & Hayward (2012), in a study of ostracods from the Hauraki Gulf ( New Zealand), recorded C. novaezealandiae and C. aff. novaezealandiae . However, in their drawings, it can be seen that fig. 8c does not represent a specimen of C. novaezealandiae , while fig. 8d shows another different and very ornate species. Morley & Hayward (2006, 2007) cited this species in a tidal transect from Whangapoua Estuary and Waitemata Harbour, New Zealand, but without illustrations.

Regarding its stratigraphic distribution, Swanson (1969) found many specimens in the Middle Waipara section (Lower Miocene) in New Zealand. Previously, Hornibrook (1952) stated that this species occurs in New Zealand since the Eocene; however, the species was not illustrated.