Vol. 50 No. 6, 2011

A Review of the Genus Thermocyclops (Crustacea: Copepoda: Cyclopoida) in Cambodia

Rachada Chaicharoen¹, La-orsri Sanoamuang^1,2, and Maria Hołyńska^3,*

¹Applied Taxonomic Research Center, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen 40002, Thailand
²Faculty of Science, Mahasarakham University, Maha Sarakham 44150, Thailand
³Museum and Institute of Zoology, PAS, 00-950 Warszawa, Wilcza 64, Poland

Rachada Chaicharoen, La-orsri Sanoamuang, and Maria Hołyńska (2011) Cambodia is one of the least explored areas in Southeast Asia, where very little reliable information on the freshwater copepod fauna is available. Recent and extensive collecting in 7 Cambodian provinces, from the western part of the country as far as the Mekong River, provided the material for our present paper which reviews the Thermocyclops fauna of Cambodia. Six species (T. crassus, T. decipiens, T. maheensis, T. rylovi, T. vermifer, and T. wolterecki) were found; and except for T. crassus, all of these are new records for the country. The morphology is briefly described, and the diagnostic characters are illustrated. Thermocyclops wolterecki is redescribed, based on specimens from Cambodia, but also from the types and other material from the type locality (Lake Lanao, the Philippines). A lectotype of T. wolterecki is designated here. An identification key to all Thermocyclops taxa so far reported from Cambodia is given. Our data suggest that the Cambodian Thermocyclops is linked with both the neighbouring Asian fauna and via the Malay Archipelago with the Australian fauna.

Key words: Cyclopidae, Taxonomy, Zoogeography, Tropical Asia.

*Correspondence: E-mail:mariahol@miiz.waw.pl