PARAMESOCHRIDAE Lang, 1944


The members of the meiobenthic family Paramesochridae are typically small, cylindrical, interstitial copepods , that inhabit sandy-beach ground water, intertidal and shallow-water sandy sediments (G. Veit-Kohler, 2004).

The family consists of 13 genera and more than 150 species distributed worldwide. Within the family, the genus Emertonia Wilson, 1932 is seen to be the most species-rich genus.

Huys (1987) created two subfamilies: Paramesochrinae, including the genera Remanea Klie, 1929; Paramesochra T. Scott, 1892; Biuncus Huys, 1996; Scottopsyllus Kunz, 1962; Kliopsyllus Kunz, 1962; Meiopsyllus Cottarelli & Forniz, 1994; Apodopsyllus Kunz, 1962; Leptopsyllus T. Scott, 1894; Caligopsyllus Kunz, 1975; Kunzia Wells, 1967 and Diarthrodellinae, including Tisbisoma Bozic, 1964 (formerly included in the family Tisbidae); Diarthrodella Klie, 1949 and Rossopsyllus Soyer, 1975. Later on (1995) the same author described the genus Singularia from Israel.


Keys to genera of the family Paramesochridae


PARAMESOCHRINAE Lang, 1944


PARAMESOCHRA T. Scott, 1892

  • Paramesochra acutata acutata Klie, 1934 [Germany; marine interstitial]
  • Paramesochra acutata hawaiiensis Kunz, 1981 [Hawai, marine interstitial]
  • Paramesochra arctica Lang, 1936 (syn. Paraleptopsyllus arcticus (Lang, 1936) accepted as Leptopsyllus arcticus (Lang, 1936) represented as Leptopsyllus (Paraleptopsyllus) arcticus (Lang, 1936)
  • Paramesochra australis Mielke, 1994 (=Psammoleptomesochra australis Mielke, 1994
  • Paramesochra borealis Geddes, 1981 [Norway; marine interstitial]
  • Paramesochra brevifurca brevifurca Galhano, 1970 [Portugal; marine interstitial]
  • Paramesochra brevifurca mediterranea Huys, 1987 [Italy, Sardinia; marine sand]
  • Paramesochra denticulata Rao & Ganapati, 1969 [India; marine interstitial]
  • Paramesochra dubia T. Scott, 1892 [north Europe; marine interstitial]
  • Paramesochra helgolandica helgolandica Kunz, 1937 [Europe, USA; marine sand]
  • Paramesochra helgolandica galapagoensis Mielke, 1984 [Galapagos, marine sand]
  • Paramesochra kunzi Mielke, 1984 [Panama; marine sand]
  • Paramesochra longicaudata Nicholls, 1945 [Africa, West Australia; marine interstitial]
  • Paramesochra marisalbi Kornev & Chertoprud, 2008
  • Paramesochra mielkei Huys, 1987 [North Sea; marine sand]
  • Paramesochra mirabilis Back & Lee, 2013 [Korea; subtidal zone]
  • Paramesochra ornata Krishnaswamy, 1957 [India; brackish interstitial]
  • Paramesochra orotavae Noodt, 1958
  • Paramesochra parasimilis Back & Lee, 2013 [Korea; subtidal zone]
  • Paramesochra psammobionta Noodt, 1964 [Red Sea; coastal interstitial] (=Emertonia psammobionta (Noodt, 1964)
  • Paramesochra psammophila Noodt, 1964 [Red Sea; coastal interstitial] (=Emertonia psammophila (Noodt, 1964)
  • Paramesochra pterocaudata Kunz, 1936 [Sweden, marine sand]
  • Paramesochra pungdoensis Back & Lee, 2013 [Korea; subtidal zone]
  • Paramesochra similis Kunz, 1936 [Bulgaria, Helgoland, Man Island; marine interstitial]
  • Paramesochra taeana Back & Lee, 2010 [Korea; sandy sediments]
  • Paramesochra unaspina Mielke, 1984 [Galapagos; marine interstitial]
  • Paramesochra vigesima klie


    Questionable species:

  • Paramesochra pygmaea Nicholls, 1939 [UK; marine interstitial] (= Emertonia pygmaea (Nicholls, 1939 ?)
  • Paramesochra major Nicholls, 1939 [UK; marine interstitial]
  • Paramesochra minuta Nicholls, 1939 [UK; marine interstitial]
  • Paramesochra laurentica Nicholls, 1939 [UK; marine interstitial]


    WORL KEY TO SPECIES OF PARAMESOCHRA IN: Huys R. 1987. Paramesochra T. Scott, 1982 (Copepoda, Harpacticoida): a revised key, including a new species from the SW Dutch coast and some remarks on the phylogeny of the Paramesochridae. Hydrobiologia, 144: 193-210. ; in:Back & Lee, 2013


    MEIOPSYLLUS Cottarelli & Forniz, 1994

  • Meiopsyllus marinae Cottarelli & Forniz, 1994 [Italy, Sardinan islands, meiobenthos]


    BIUNCUS Huys, 1996 (syn. Singularia Huys, 1995)

  • Biuncus ingens Huys, 1996 [Israel; parasite]


    CALIGOPSYLLUS Kunz, 1975

  • Caligopsyllus primus Kunz, 1975 [Africa; tidal pools]


    KUNZIA Wells, 1967

  • Kunzia bispinosa Kunz, 1974 [Africa; coastal interstitial]
  • Kunzia epacra Wells, 1967 [Africa, Mozambique; coastal interstitial]
  • Kunzia minutissima Wells, 1967 [Africa, Mozambique; coastal interstitial]


    MALIITHIPON Cottarelli & Bruno, 2021

  • Maliithipon wellsi Cottarelli & Bruno, 2021
  • Maliithipon aberrans Cottarelli & Bruno, 2021 (comb. nov.)
  • Maliithipon cf. aberrans (Mielke 1984a) = Apodopsyllus aberrans Mielke 1984a in Packmor et al. (2015) and Packmor & George (2016)




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