Dioithona oculata (Farran, 1913)

Received, Tuba Terbiyik Kurtb, Online, Published & Version, Final, 2018, Contribution and acclimatization of the swarming tropical copepod Dioithona oculata (Farran, 1913) in a Mediterranean coastal ecosystem, Turkish Journal of Zoology 42 (5), pp. 567-577 : 569

3.2. Description of Dioithona oculata

Female

Distinguishing characteristics of D. oculata are presented in Table 2. The mean body length was approximately 0.65 mm, ranging from 0.59 mm and 0.68 mm. The body is robust and egg-shaped ( Figure 3A). The anterior part of the prosome is rounded in the dorsal view and the rostrum is blunt ( Figure 3B). Two big eyes with a blue pigmentation are clearly seen ( Figures 3A and 3B). The endopod of Mx1 has 2 setae ( Figure 3C) and a mandible with 2 spinulose spines in the basis ( Figure 3D). Exopodite setae formula is 1,1, 3 in P1 ( Figure 3E), P2 ( Figure 3F), and P3 ( Figure 3G), and 1,1, 2 in P4 ( Figure 3H). Terminal spine of third exopodite segment of P1–

Pr mary axes °C Temperature 35.00

30.00

25.00

20.00

15.00

10.00

P4 is longer than itself ( Figures 3E–3H). P5 has 2 setae

( Figure 3I).

Male

Morphological characteristics for males are presented in Table 2. The mean body length was approximately 0.62 mm, ranging from 0.59 to 0.66 mm. The body is elliptical and robust ( Figure 4A). The rostrum cannot be seen in the dorsal view ( Figure 4B) and frontal part of prosome is relatively square ( Figure 4A). The eyes are big and with blue pigmentation ( Figures 4A and 4B). Setae formulae of exopodite for swimming legs ( Figures 4C–4G), setae of Mx1 ( Figure 4H), and spine of mandible ( Figure 4I) are similar to that of females.