The subfamily Halicyclopinae presently encompasses six genera and more than 90 species, including surface and groundwater species, widely distributed in several kind of surface brackish water bodies, tidal pools, lagoonal and estuarine coasts, anchialine caves, sinkholes, interstitial and sandy beaches habitats, as well as ponds and marshes. The genus Halicyclops Norman, 1903 is the most speciose, with 76 species and subspecies inhabiting coastal lagoons, anchialine caves and interstitial beach waters, around the World from 60° N to 45° S, approximately (Rocha et al., 2000).
Neocyclops Gurney, 1927 is represented
by 7 species allocated to the subgenus Protoneocyclops
Petkovski, 1986, 6 in the subgenus Neocyclops, and 3
species not yet ascribed to any of the 2 mentioned subgenera,
because their males remain unknown (Petkovski,
1986). Colpocyclops Monchenko, 1977, as well as
Sergiosmirnovia Monchenko, 2007, each with 2 species, are
restricted to the coastal area of the Ponto-Caspian region.
Recently, Rocha & Iliffe (1994) proposed the
genus Troglocyclops to accommodate a very primitive
halicyclopine from an anchialine cave on Eleuthera Island,
Bahamas.
Rocha, Iliffe, Reid & Suarez-Morales (2000) described
the genus Prehendocyclops, represented by 3 species,
living together with Halicyclops
cenoticola Rocha (Rocha & al. 1998), in cenotes
from the peninsula of Mexico.
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