A NEW SPECIES OF AUSTRALIAN BIOLUMINESCENT OSTRACOD (MYODOCOPINA, CYPRIDINIDAE) WITH AN UNREPORTED IRIDESCENT STRUCTURE

A new species of cypridinid (Myodocopina) ostracod is described. This species, from off the west coat of Tasmania, is a scavenger. It occurs in an area of relatively high diversity of scavenging crustaceans, an d exhibits feeding limbs well equipped for scavenging. Vargula karamu produces bioluminescence but displays subordinate iridescence as compa red to the non-bioluminescent Skogsbergia sp. (Skogsbergia sp. uses ir idescence during courtship, Parker 1995). It bears a long terminal set a on the endopodite of the second antenna which iridesces blue and is positioned very close to the other iridescent structures in the whole animal. This is the first report of iridescence from the second antenn a of Myodocopina.