REDESCRIPTION OF FEMALE AND MALE MESOCYCLOPS-EDAX FORBES, 1891 (COPEPODA, CYCLOPOIDA)

The female and male of Mesocyclops edax Forbes, 1891, are redescribed. This species comprises the following peculiarities compared to other representatives of Mesocyclops: a broad and deeply senate hyaline memb rane along the distal seventeenth antennular segment; the intercoxal p lates of legs 1-3 with tiny spinules; leg 4 bearing 2 small protuberan ces; the inner seta of leg 4 endopod III nearly as long but smaller th an the outer seta; a shovellike shape of the caudal setae; groups of h airs on the inner rim of the caudal rami; the shape of the genital fie ld; and caryological and naupliar peculiarities. The present note prov ides the first description of the male. The male exhibits sexual dimor phism in size, the habitus, and the morphology of the antennule, anten na, leg 5, and leg 6. Morphological characters are compared and reeval uated with findings in the literature.