Abstract

GUTIERREZ-AGUIRRE, Martha Angélica; SUAREZ-MORALES, Eduardo  and  CERVANTES-MARTINEZ, Adrián. The distribution of Mesocyclops (Copepoda: Cyclopoida) species in the Mexican southern, and Northern Guatemala regions. Hidrobiológica [online]. 2006, vol.16, n.3, pp.259-265. ISSN 0188-8897.

Three types of distribution of the genus Mesocyclops were identified through an analysis of the records in Mexico, and a revision of biological material collected in the Southeastern region of the country (including Tabasco, Chiapas, Campeche, Yucatan, and Quintana Roo states), and the North region of Guatemala. The distributional patterns were divided into three groups: widely distributed species (M. longisetus s. str., M. edax, M. reidae), restricted distribution species (M. evadomingoi, M. pescei) and introduced species (M. thermocyclopoides, M. aspericornis). Additionally, in the surveyed area, we found the highest species richness in Tabasco and also a preference of Mesocyclops to inhabit shallow, meso- to eutrophic freshwater systems in lowlands at < 40 m altitudes. Finally, this study allowed the record of three species of the genus not previously found in Chiapas (M. longisetus s.str., M. brasilianus, and M. pescei).

Keywords : Distribution; Guatemala; Mesocyclops; Mexico.