Abstract
The calanoid copepod Lucicutia hulsemannae Markhaseva & Ferrari, 2005 has, until now, only been recorded from the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean, i.e., in its description as a new species. The present study now reports L. hulsemannae for the first time from the southern basin of the South China Sea (7°59.57′N 113°0.1′E), at depths of 500-800 m. The main morphological characteristics of females of this species are: (i) Cephalosome with a pair of strong, triangular, lateral protrusions; (ii) plug of genital double-somite conical in lateral view, with swollen base; (iii) second urosomal somite significantly wider and shorter than third; (iv) inner marginal seta of second exopodal segment of fifth pereiopod (P5) thin towards its tip. This finding considerably expands the reported global distribution of L. hulsemannae, at the same time updating the checklist of copepods for Chinese waters.
