Ostracoda in the suborders Myodocopina (4 species in 4
genera: Parasterope muelleri (Skogsberg, 1920), Rutidermata
sterreri Kornicker, 1981, Pseudophilomedes kylix, new species,
and Sarsiella styx, new species), Cladocopina (4 species in 3 genera:
Metapolycope duplex, new species, Micropolycope eurax, new
species, M. styx, new species, and Polycopissa anax, new
species), and Halocypridina (Spelaeoecia bermudensis Angel and
Iliffe, 1987) from anchialine caves in the Bermuda Islands are described and
illustrated. Two species of Cladocopina and the single species of
Halocypridina are interpreted as troglobitic, 1 species of Cladocopina and 2
of Myodocopina are interpreted as troglophilic, and 1 species of Cladocopina
and 2 of Myodocopina are interpreted as accidental cave inhabitant.
Accidental inhabitants, few in number, are mostly in caves having strong to
moderate currents close to the coast, and also in caves having weak currents
farther from the coast. A new locality (Jane's Cave) is reported for
the troglobitic halocyprid ostracode Spelaeoecia bermudenis Angel and
Iliffe, 1987. It is concluded that Pseudophilomedes kylix has 4
juvenile instars, Metapolycope duplex has 6, and Polycopissa anax
has 5. The first instar of Cladocopina has 5 appendages, the same
number as on the adult (first and second antennae, mandible, maxilla, and
fifth limb). The male is described for the first time for the
myodocopid Eusarsiella absens (Kornicker, 1981), collected from
Harrington Sound, Bermuda. Specimens from the continental shelves of
North America (Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico) that had previously been
referred to Pseudophilomedes ferulanus Kornicker, 1958, are described
as a new species, Pseudophilomedes darbyi.
Louis S. Kornicker, Department of Invertebrate Zoology, Smithsonian Institution, Room 163, National Museum of Natural History, Washington, D.C. 20560, USA. - Thomas M. Iliffe, Department of Marine
Biology, Texas A&M University at Galveston, P.O. Box 1675, Galveston, Texas 77553, USA.
E-mail: Kornicker.Louis@NMNH.SI.EDU
- iliffet@tamug.edu
Keywords: Ostracoda; Bermuda; islands; Crustacea; Myodocopina; Cladocopina;
Halocypridina; anchialine; caves.