THERODAMAS TAMARAE, A NEW SPECIES OF COPEPOD (POECILOSTOMATOIDA, ERGASILIDAE) PARASITIC ON PLAGIOSCION-SQUAMOSISSIMUS (HECKEL) FROM THE ARAGUAIA RIVER, BRAZIL - WITH A KEY TO THE SPECIES OF THE GENUS

Therodamas tamarae n.sp. is described based on females removed from br anchial filaments of Plagioscion squamosissimus (Teleostei, Sciaenidae ) caught in a lake near the Araguaia River, State of Goias, Brazil. Th e new species shares with Therodamas elongatus (Thatcher, 1986) the sa me host, a similar reaction from the host to the presence of the paras ites, and the same general shape of body; in addition, the two species are from the Amazon basin. On the other hand, it resembles I: fluviat ilis Paggi, 1976 in the structure of legs 1 to 4. An identification ke y for Therodamas species, as well as comments on the distribution of t he species, are included.