Caligus chelifer Wilson C. B. 1905

Caligus chelifer Wilson, 1905

Caligus chelifer Wilson, 1905:479.—Cressey and Nutter, 1987:601.

MATERIAL EXAMINED.—Wilson (1905) described this species from menhaden, swordfish, and Trichiurus lepturus from off the coast of Massachusetts. Kabata (1972) provided a good redescription of the species based on specimens from Miami, Florida. The present author reported its occurrence off the coast of Texas in a paper re-identifying copepods collected and reported by David Causey. Causey's material was from Brevoortia tyrannus (Latrobe) at Port Aransas, Texas. The present author has not collected this species from the west coast of Florida or from off Belize. The illustrations are from Wilson's type material.

FEMALE.—Body form as in Figure 69. Total length of holotype 4.93 mm, greatest width 2.0 mm (measured at widest part of cephalothorax). Cephalothorax widest posteriorly with its length nearly half entire length of specimen. Genital complex longer than wide, and widest posteriorly. Abdomen (Figure 70) appears 2-segmented from dorsal aspect but segmentation less apparent from ventral aspect (length of genital complex approximately same as abdomen). Caudal rami (Figure 70) about 2.5 times longer than wide.

Diameter of lunules slightly less than distance between them. Second antenna (Figure 71a) terminal claw bent nearly at right angle in distal third; posterior process as in figure. Postantennal spine (Figure 71b) digitiform with rounded tip. Spiniform process of first maxilla (Figure 71c) with rounded tip. Sternal furca (Figure 72) box longer than tines, latter only slightly divergent.

Leg 1 (Figure 73) first segment with small, finely serrate spine at outer distal corner and row of short setules on distal half of medial margin; last segment with 4 terminal spines, medial 2 each with accessory process; medial lateral setae short and finely pinnate. Leg 2 (Figure 74) exopod first segment with large spine with serrated margins extending across segment; second segment with similiar, but somewhat shorter spine extending across segment; last segment with outer curved spine, serrate along outer edge, a broad, short, distal spine with long spinules on medial margin, and a long terminal spine serrate along outer margin as in figure; medial setae on all segments typical of genus; all 3 segments of endopod with patches of setules along outer margin; medial setae as in genus. Leg 3 exopod (Figure 75) first segment with nearly straight, posteriorly directed sclerotized spine not extending to last segment; second segment with naked, weak seta at outer distal corner, last segment with 3 weak outer naked setae and 4 terminal pinnate setae. Leg 4 (Figure 76) exopod 2-segmented; first segment with an outer spine extending well beyond base of next spine; second segment with medial spine extending beyond tip of segment; last segment with 3 spines, outer 2 nearly equal in length and medial spine about one-third longer than other 2; all spines with fine spinules along outer margin.

MALE.—See Kabata (1972).