CHECKLIST OF PLANKTONIC COPEPODA FROM A COLOMBIAN COASTAL LAGOON WITH RECORD OF HALICYCLOPS EXIGUUS KIEFER

Abstract

Sixteen species of planktonic copepods are reported from Laguna de Navío Quebrado, La Guajira, Colombia. Zooplankton samples were collected from the littoral zone with vegetation (macrophytes and mangroves) and from open water related to an oyster bank. Most of these species were recorded in the macrophytes-related area. One of them: Halicyclops exiguus Kiefer, 1934 is new to the Colombian copepod fauna; comparative morphological comments and illustrations of this species are also provided. The general composition of the local copepod community, including marine, estuarine and freshwater forms is representative of the wide salinity gradient (0-28) found in the surveyed area. This is the fist report on the planktonic copepod fauna in this hydrological system. Comments on the morphology and photographs of selected species are provided.