ABSTRACT
Monstrilloid copepods are endoparasites of marine benthic invertebrates (i.e., polychaetes, molluscs) during their juvenile stages. A final copepodite stage V preadult leaves the host and moults into a non-feeding, reproductive planktonic adult. The taxonomy of Monstrilloid copepods has been historically complex. The current list of species of Brazilian Monstrilloida is available from the “Catálogo Taxonômico da Fauna do Brasil” website (CTFB), an on-line database with taxonomic information on the species known to occur in Brazil. Based on current taxonomical contributions, a total of 14 valid nominal species of Monstrilloida have been recorded from Brazil, including six endemic species (43%). Species of Cymbasoma (five species: 36%) and Monstrilla (six species: 43%) total up to 78% of the Brazilian monstrilloid species diversity. Monstrillopsis and Caromiobenella are both represented by three species. Records of Monstrilloida are concentrated in the East, Southeast, and Northeast regions of the country, with an absence of records for the Rio Grande region. The records of Monstrilloid copepods should be revised in the light of evidence suggesting that widespread nominal species like Cymbasoma longispinosum Bourne, 1890, Cymbasoma rigidum Thompson I.C., 1888, Monstrillopsis dubia (Scott T., 1904), and Monstrilla grandis Giesbrecht, 1891 probably represent species complexes. A better knowledge of the taxonomy, distribution, and biology of the Brazilian Monstrilloida taxa is important to support their conservation. The revision of previous records, the occurrence of species complexes among the Brazilian monstrilloid fauna, the discovery of hosts, and reliably matching males and females of monstrilloids are pending assignments to significantly improve our knowledge of the group.
KEY WORDS:
Biodiversity; biomas; Brazilian monstrilloids; distribution; parasitic copepods; species complex
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