ON A TROPICAL SUBSPECIES OF MONSTRILLA-WANDELII (COPEPODA, MONSTRILLOIDA) FROM THE MEXICAN COASTS OF THE CARIBBEAN-SEA

From plankton samples taken at a reef lagoon off Puerto Morelos, on th e northern portion of the eastern coast of the Yucatan Peninsula, a ne w tropical subspecies of Monstrilla wandelii, only known from temperat e-cold latitudes, is described from male specimens. The analysis of th e main characteristics in the taxonomy of monstrilloids allowed its id entification as M. wandelii. The new subspecies differs from the nomin al species in the relative length and armature of the antennular segme nts, in the structure of the genital lappets of the fifth legs and in its total size, which is nearly 2.5 limes that of the nominal subspeci es.