Research Article |
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Corresponding author: Jimin Lee ( leejm@kiost.ac.kr ) Academic editor: Kai Horst George
© 2026 Kyuhee Cho, Jihye Seo, Jong Guk Kim, Jimin Lee.
This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
Citation:
Cho K, Seo J, Kim JG, Lee J (2026) Five new species of Tetragoniceps Brady, 1880 (Copepoda, Harpacticoida, Tetragonicipitidae) from Korea. ZooKeys 1293: 141-186. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1293.206992
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Five new species of the genus Tetragoniceps Brady, 1880, collected from Korean waters, are described. These new species are readily distinguished from other congeners by a unique armature formula of legs 2–4, notably with one inner seta on the two proximal exopodal segments, and six, five, and seven elements on the distal exopodal segments of legs 2–4, respectively, a combination not previously reported in Tetragoniceps. Additional specific diagnostic features of the five new species include the shape and length of the caudal rami, the morphology of leg 5, relative lengths of the inner setae on exopods of legs 2–4, setation of the mandibular exopod, maxillular exopod, and distal endopod segment of leg 1, and sexually dimorphic features of the middle exopodal segment of leg 4 in the male. A comparative table for all known Tetragoniceps species, incorporating revised interpretations of several diagnostic characters including the armature formula for the distal exopodal segment of leg 4 in the female, is provided, together with an updated identification key. This study represents the first record of Tetragoniceps from the northwestern Pacific, substantially expanding the known geographic distribution of the genus.
meiofauna, northwestern Pacific, taxonomy, Tetragoniceps brevisetosus sp. nov., Tetragoniceps concavus sp. nov., Tetragoniceps protuberans sp. nov., Tetragoniceps spinulifer sp. nov., Tetragoniceps unisetus sp. nov.
The genus Tetragoniceps Brady, 1880 was originally established for Tetragoniceps longiremis Brady & Robertson, 1876 (
To date, 16 Tetragoniceps species have been recognized worldwide. Among these, nine species have been reported from the Atlantic Ocean, three from the Pacific Ocean, and four from the Indian Ocean. In the Atlantic Ocean, four species (T. malleolatus, T. brevicauda Scott T, 1900, T. scotti Sars GO, 1911, and T. bergensis Por, 1965) occur in the northeastern Atlantic (
During a biodiversity study of benthic harpacticoids in Korea, five new Tetragoniceps species were discovered in intertidal and sublittoral habitats. This study represents the first record of the genus from Korean waters and substantially expands its known distribution in the northwestern Pacific. We describe these new species and provide a revised comparative table together with an updated identification key for all known species of Tetragoniceps.
Field samples were collected from five stations around Korea (Fig.
Specimens were examined and illustrated using a drawing tube mounted on a BX53 microscope (Olympus, Tokyo, Japan) equipped with differential interference contrast. Dissected appendages were mounted on H-S slides in a lactophenol:glycerol (1:5) mixture, allowing observation from both sides (
The terminology for morphological descriptions followed that of
The type materials of the new Tetragoniceps species, except for Tetragoniceps protuberans sp. nov., were deposited in the Marine Biodiversity Institute of Korea (
Order Harpacticoida Sars, 1903
Family Tetragonicipitidae Lang, 1944
Genus Tetragoniceps Brady, 1880
Dokdo Island, Korea; 37°14'37.23"N, 131°51'39.61"E; depth 15 m.
Holotype. • One ♀ (
Female. Body length range 795–959 μm (n = 3, mean = 876 μm, holotype = 874 μm) measured from anterior tip of rostrum to posterior end of caudal rami (in lateral view). Habitus (Fig.
Tetragoniceps concavus sp. nov. Holotype (
Urosome (Fig.
Caudal ramus (Fig.
Rostrum (Fig.
Antennule (Fig.
Antenna (Fig.
Mandible (Fig.
Maxillule (Fig.
Maxilla (Fig.
Maxilliped (Fig.
P1 (Fig.
P2 (Fig.
P3 (Fig.
P4 (Fig.
Armature formula of P1–P4 as follows:
| Exopod | Endopod | |
| P1 | 0.0.022 | 1.120 |
| P2 | 1.1.123 | 1.021 |
| P3 | 1.1.122 | 1.021 |
| P4 | 1.1.322[1.1.222 in ♂] | 1.021 |
P5 (Fig.
P6 (Fig.
Male. Body length range 709–835 μm (n = 3, mean = 778 μm; measurement as in females). Habitus (Fig.
Urosome (Figs
Caudal rami (Figs
Antennule (Fig.
P2 exopod as in females, except inner setae on exp-2 and exp-3 longer than those in females. Enp-2 (Fig.
P3 exopod as in females, except inner setae on exp-2 and exp-3 longer than those in the females. Enp-2 (Fig.
P4 (Fig.
P5 (Fig.
P6 (Fig.
The specific epithet concavus is derived from the Latin adjective concavus (concave) and refers to the slightly concave dorsomedial surface of the female caudal ramus. It is in the nominative singular. Gender masculine.
Tetragoniceps concavus sp. nov. and four other new species described herein were assigned to Tetragoniceps based on the presence of an elongate first antennulary segment bearing a strong, acute outer process and a non-foliaceous female P5.
The diagnostic characters traditionally used to distinguish Tetragoniceps species (
The species is further distinguished by the shape of the female caudal ramus, with the inner margin irregularly dentate, concave, and constricted at mid-length. In dorsal view, the caudal ramus is cylindrical and 2.6× as long as wide, whereas in lateral view it appears comparatively broader, being 2.1× as long as wide. The male caudal ramus exhibits sexual dimorphism, being considerably more elongate than those of the female and approximately 6.5× as long as wide.
Dokdo Island, Korea; 37°14'23.28"N, 131°52'20.64"E; depth 25 m.
Holotype. • One ♀ (
Female. Body length range 625–846 μm (n = 4, mean = 744 μm, holotype = 846 μm). Habitus (Fig.
Genital double-somite (Figs
Caudal rami (Figs
Rostrum (Fig.
Antennule (Fig.
Antenna (Fig.
Mandible (Fig.
Morphological features of P1–P4 (segmentation and ornamentation) as in T. concavus sp. nov.
P1 (Fig.
Tetragoniceps spinulifer sp. nov. Paratype (
P2 (Fig.
P3 (Fig.
P4 (Fig.
Armature formula of swimming legs as in T. concavus sp. nov., except for P1 endopod with 1.020.
| Exopod | Endopod | |
| P1 | 0.0.022 | 1.020 |
| P2 | 1.1.123 | 1.021 |
| P3 | 1.1.122 | 1.021 |
| P4 | 1.1.322[1.1.222 in ♂] | 1.021 |
P5 (Fig.
Male. Body length range 712–730 μm (n = 4, mean = 724 μm). Habitus (Fig.
Urosome (Figs
Caudal rami (Figs
Antennule (Fig.
P2, inner setae on exp-2 and exp-3 longer than those in females. Enp-2 (Fig.
P3, inner setae on exp-2 and exp-3 longer than those in females. Enp-2 (Fig.
P4, exp-2 (Fig.
P5 (Fig.
P6 (Fig.
The specific epithet spinulifer is derived from the Latin spinula (small spine) and -fer (bearing), and refers to the presence of numerous spinules on the female caudal rami and on the apical process of the male fifth leg exopod. It is in the nominative singular. Gender masculine.
The P5 were asymmetrical (Fig.
Tetragoniceps spinulifer sp. nov. shares the same armature formulae of P1–P4 with Tetragoniceps concavus sp. nov., except for the presence of only two setae on P1 enp-2. The female caudal ramus is relatively short, being only 1.6× as long as wide, a condition shared only with T. brevicauda, T. prima, and T. truncata among known Tetragoniceps species (
Dokdo Island, Korea; 37°14'59.23"N, 131°52'23.28"E; depth 66.5 m.
Holotype. • One ♀ (
Female. Body length range 906–968 μm (n = 4, mean = 934 μm, holotype = 906 μm). Habitus (Fig.
Urosome (Fig.
Caudal rami (Figs
Rostrum (Fig.
Segmentation and setal armature of cephalothoracic appendages (Fig.
Segmentation and setation of P1–P4 as in T. concavus sp. nov. (Fig.
P5 (Fig.
Male. Body length range 660–745 μm (n = 3, mean = 695 μm). Habitus (Fig.
Genital somite and first abdominal somite completely separate (Figs
Tetragoniceps brevisetosus sp. nov. Paratype (
Caudal rami (Figs
Antennule (Fig.
P2 enp-2 (Fig.
P3, outer spine on enp-2 (Fig.
P4 exp-2 (Fig.
P5 (Fig.
P6 (Fig.
The specific epithet brevisetosus is derived from the Latin brevis (short) and setosus (bearing setae), and refers to the markedly short inner setae on the second exopodal segment of the second to fourth swimming legs. It is in the nominative singular. Gender masculine.
The P3 enp-1 bears one inner seta in all examined specimens (n = 7), except for the figured male paratype (
Tetragoniceps brevisetosus sp. nov. shares the same armature formulae of P1–P4 with T. concavus sp. nov., but differs in having extremely short inner setae (difficult to discern at low magnification) on P2–P3 exp-2 and exp-3, and P4 exp-2. The new species is further distinguished by comparatively short apical setae on P2–P4 enp-2. In the female, the outer apical seta on P2–P3 enp-2 is markedly shorter than the outer spine, whereas in the other Korean species it is longer than the outer spine. The inner apical seta of the female P4 enp-2 is only slightly longer than the outer spine, whereas in the remaining Korean species, it is more than 1.4× as long as the outer spine. In the male, the inner apical seta of P4 enp-2 is even shorter, being < 1/2 as long as the outer spine. The male shows sexual dimorphism, and is expressed in the elongate caudal rami, as in T. spinulifer sp. nov. However, it differs from T. spinulifer sp. nov. in the shape of the P5 exopod, which bears an elongate, slender distal extension and reduced armature consisting of one inner and three outer setae.
South Sea of Korea; 33°40'22.57"N, 127°30'01.02"E; depth 93.7 m.
Holotype. • One ♀ (
Female. Body length 704–769 μm (n = 4, mean = 740 μm, holotype = 769 μm). Habitus (Fig.
Body segmentation (Fig.
Caudal rami (Fig.
Rostrum (Fig.
Segmentation and setal armature of cephalothoracic appendages (Fig.
Segmentation and setation of P1–P4 as in T. concavus sp. nov., and ornamentation as in Fig.
P5 (Fig.
Male. Body length 606–628 μm (n = 3, mean = 616 μm). Habitus (Fig.
Genital somite and first abdominal somite completely separate (Fig.
Caudal rami (Figs
Antennule (Fig.
P2 as in female, but inner setae on exp-2 and exp-3 longer than those in females. Enp-2 (Fig.
P3 as in female, but inner setae on exp-2 and exp-3 longer than those in females. Outer spine on enp-2 (Fig.
P4 (Fig.
P5 (Fig.
P6 (Fig.
The specific epithet unisetus is derived from the Latin unus (one) and seta (bristle), and refers to the presence of a single seta on the second segment of the mandibular exopod. It is in the nominative singular. Gender masculine.
The inner seta on the P2 enp-2 exceeds the outer spine in all examined females (n = 4), except for the figured female paratype (
Tetragoniceps unisetus sp. nov. is easily distinguished from the other four new species by the comparatively small process on the first antennulary segment, the presence of a single apical seta on the mandibular exopod, two setae on the maxillular exopod, and five setae on the female P5 exopod, as well as the absence of sexual dimorphism in the caudal ramus. The morphology of the female P5 exopod provides the most useful character for distinguishing the five new species. The length-to-width ratio of the female P5 exopod is lower in T. protuberans sp. nov. (3.1) and T. concavus sp. nov. (3.1) than in the remaining species (4.5 in T. unisetus sp. nov., 4.3 in T. brevisetosus sp. nov., and 5 in T. spinulifer sp. nov.). The apical tip is pointed in T. concavus sp. nov., T. brevisetosus sp. nov., and T. protuberans sp. nov., whereas it bears an apical seta in T. spinulifer sp. nov. and T. unisetus sp. nov. The male of T. unisetus sp. nov. exhibits two distinctive characteristics. The P2 enp-2 bears only one outer apophysis and one long apical seta. Notably, a conspicuous process occurs adjacent to the long apical seta, a feature not observed in other congeners. Given its insertion point, this process likely represents a modified inner apical seta associated with sexual dimorphism. This sexually dimorphic modification appears to be unique within the genus. Furthermore, the male P5 exopod is characterized by two remarkably short inner setae positioned close together. In T. spinulifer sp. nov. and T. brevisetosus sp. nov., only a single inner seta is present.
Gwangyang, Korea; 34°56'10.26"N, 127°36'06.95"E; depth 0~1 m.
Holotype. • One ♀ (HNIBRIV25103) preserved in a vial with 95% ethanol, collected from the type locality, 15 October 2016, J.G. Kim leg. Allotype. • One ♂ (HNIBRIV25104) preserved in a vial with 95% ethanol, collection data as in holotype. Paratypes. • Two ♀♀ (HNIBRIV25105, HNIBRIV25106) and two ♂♂ (HNIBRIV25107, HNIBRIV25108) each dissected on three H-S slides, collection data as in holotype.
Female. Body length range 737–749 μm (n = 3, mean = 745 μm, holotype = 737 μm). Habitus (Fig.
Urosome (Fig.
Caudal ramus (Figs
Rostrum (Fig.
Segmentation and setation of cephalothoracic appendages (Fig.
Segmentation and setation of P1–P4 as in T. concavus sp. nov. (Fig.
P5 (Fig.
Male. Body length range 618–688 μm (n = 3, mean = 641 μm). Habitus (Fig.
Urosome (Figs
Caudal rami (Figs
Antennule (Fig.
P2 enp-2 (Fig.
P3 enp-2 (Fig.
P4 exp-2 (Fig.
P5 (Fig.
P6 (Fig.
The specific epithet protuberans is derived from the Latin protuberans, meaning “protruding”, and refers to the conspicuous protuberance on the outer distal corner of the female caudal ramus. It is in the nominative singular. Gender masculine.
The third segment of the antennule bears eight setae in all examined females (n = 2), except for the figured female paratype (HNIBRIV25105), with both third antennulary segments bearing nine setae (the additional seta indicated by an asterisk in Fig.
Tetragoniceps protuberans sp. nov. shares the short inner setae on P2–P3 exp-2 and exp-3 with T. brevisetosus sp. nov., but it is readily distinguished from that species by the presence of a well-developed inner seta on P4 exp-2 and by its unique caudal ramus morphology. The female caudal ramus is cylindrical and bears a conspicuous ventroposterior protuberance on the outer distal corner. The principal setae IV and V are proximally swollen and curved outward. Furthermore, the male caudal ramus is the shortest among the five new species, being only 3.1× as long as wide. Unlike the other four new species, T. protuberans sp. nov. was collected from a brackish habitat where the river meets the sea.
All character states are based on the original descriptions and illustrations. All P1–P4 armature formulae are based on females, except for T. longicaudata and T. santacruzensis, for which male specimens were used.
| 1 | P4 exp-1 with inner seta | 2 |
| – | P4 exp-1 without inner seta | 17 |
| 2 | P4 exp-2 with inner seta | 3 |
| – | P4 exp-2 without inner seta | 14 |
| 3 | P4 enp-2 with two setae/spines | T. dubia Thompson IC & Scott A, 1903 |
| – | P4 enp-2 with three or four setae/spines | 4 |
| 4 | P4 enp-2 with three setae/spines | 5 |
| – | P4 enp-2 with four setae/spines | 12 |
| 5 | P3 exp-2 with inner seta | 6 |
| – | P3 exp-2 without inner seta | 16 |
| 6 | Mandibular exopod one-segmented, P4 exp-3 with six setae/spines | T. scotti Sars GO, 1911 |
| – | Mandibular exopod two-segmented, P4 exp-3 with seven setae/spines | 7 |
| 7 | P3 exp-3 with five setae/spines | 8 |
| – | P3 exp-3 with six setae/spines | T. pacificus Burgess, 1998 |
| 8 | Female P5 exopod with five setae | T. unisetus sp. nov. |
| – | Female P5 exopod with six setae | 9 |
| 9 | P1 enp-2 with two setae, female caudal rami relatively short, length/width ratio less than 2.0 | T. spinulifer sp. nov. |
| – | P1 enp-2 with three setae, female caudal rami elongate, length/width ratio over 2.5 | 10 |
| 10 | Mandibular exopod with two setae on distal segment, male P5 exopod with four setae | T. brevisetosus sp. nov. |
| – | Mandibular exopod with four setae on distal segment, male P5 exopod with five setae | 11 |
| 11 | Inner seta on P2–P3 exp-2 and exp-3 extending beyond distal margin of each segment | T. concavus sp. nov. |
| – | Inner seta on P2–P3 exp-2 and exp-3 not extending beyond distal margin of each segment | T. protuberans sp. nov. |
| 12 | P2 exp-1 with inner seta | 13 |
| – | P2 exp-1 without inner seta | T. prima (Coull, 1971) |
| 13 | P2 enp-2 with two setae/spines, antennule with outer process in males | T. arenicolous Krishnaswamy, 1957 |
| – | P2 enp-2 with four setae/spines, antennule without outer process in males | T. santacruzensis Mielke, 1997 |
| 14 | P2 enp-2 with two setae/spines | T. brownei Wells, 1967 |
| – | P2 enp-2 with three setae/spines | 15 |
| 15 | P2 exp-3 with four setae/spines, P3 exp-3 with three setae/spines, female P5 baseoendopod with four setae | T. unguis Wells & Rao, 1987 |
| – | P2 exp-3 with five setae/spines, P3 exp-3 with four setae/spines, female P5 baseoendopod with five setae | T. galapagoensis Mielke, 1989 |
| 16 | Antennary exopod with three setae, female P5 exopod (immature) with five setae | T. longicaudata Nicholls, 1939 |
| – | Antennary exopod with four setae, female P5 exopod with six setae | T. truncata Nicholls, 1939 |
| 17 | Female antennule eight-segmented, female P5 baseoendopod and exopod confluent | 18 |
| – | Female antennule nine-segmented, female P5 baseoendopod and exopod distinct | 19 |
| 18 | Antennary exopod with two setae, P3 exp-3 and P4 exp-3 with five, six setae/spines, respectively | T. bookhouti Coull, 1971 |
| – | Antennary exopod with three setae, P3 exp-3 and P4 exp-3 with four, five setae/spines, respectively | T. malleolatus Brady, 1880 |
| 19 | Female caudal rami short, 1.5× as long as wide | T. brevicauda Scott T, 1900 |
| – | Female caudal rami remarkably elongate, ten × as long as wide | 20 |
| 20 | P1 enp-2 with three setae, P2 exp-3 and P3 exp-3 with six, five setae/spines, respectively | T. bergensis Por, 1965 |
| – | P1 enp-2 with two setae, P2 exp-3 and P3 exp-3 with seven setae/spines, respectively | T. bermudensis Mussini et al., 2025 |
The five newly described Korean species are assigned to Tetragoniceps based on an elongate first antennulary segment bearing a posteriorly directed acute process at the outer distal corner and a non-foliaceous female P5. Notably, all five new species share the same armature pattern of P2–P4, with one inner seta on exp-1 and exp-2 and six, five, and seven elements on exp-3 of P2–P4, respectively. No previously described Tetragoniceps species exhibits this combination of chaetotaxic characters (Table
Comparison of morphological characters among species of the genus Tetragoniceps [Abbreviations: A1, antennule; A2, antenna; benp, baseoendopod; CR, caudal ramus; enp-2, second endopodal segment; exp, exopod; Md, mandible; P1–P5, first to fifth legs].
| Morphological Characters | No. of A1 segments (♀) | Position of process on A1 (♀) | No. of setae on A2 exp | No. of Md exp segments | No. of setae on distal segment of Md exp | Length-to-width ratio of CR (♀/♂) | P1 | P2 | P3 | P4 | P5 (♀) | P5 (♂) | References | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. of setae on enp-2 | Armature formula of exp | No. of setae on enp-2 | Armature formula of exp | No. of setae on enp-2 | Armature formula of exp | No. of setae on enp-2 | benp & exp | No. of setae on benp / exp | No. of exp segments | distal margin of exp | No. of setae on benp / exp | ||||||||
| Species | |||||||||||||||||||
| T. malleolatus Brady, 1880 | 8 | distal | 3 | 1 | 2 | 3.3:1 / - | 2 | - | - | 0.1.022 | 4 a) | 0.1.311 | 3 | Confluent | 4 / 1 or 5 / 4 b) | 1 c) | elongated process c) | 3 / 2 c) |
|
| T. dubia Thompson IC & Scott A, 1903 | 8 | distal | 3 | - | - | 2:1 / - | 2 | - | - | - | - | 1.1.322 | 2 | Confluent d) | 5 / 4 | - | - | - | |
| T. brevicauda Scott T, 1900 | 9 | distal | 3 | - | - | 1.5:1 / - | 2 | - | - | - | - | 0.1.311 e) | - | Distinct | 5 / 6 | - | - | - | |
| T. scotti Sars GO, 1911 | 9 | distal | 3 | 1 | 3 | 3:1 / - | 3 | - | - | 1.1.122 | 3 | 1.1.312 or 1.1.322 f) | 3 | Distinct | 4 / 6 | 1 | elongated process | 3 / 5 |
|
| T. truncata Nicholls, 1939 | 9 | distal | 4 | 2 | 4 | 1:1 / - | 3 | 1.0.023 | 3 | 1.0.022 g) | 3 g) | 1.1.322 | 3 | Distinct | 5 / 6 | 1 g) | elongated process g) | 3 / 5 g) |
|
| T. longicaudata Nicholls, 1939 | 9 | distal | 3 ♂ | 2 ♂ | 5 ♂ | 2.3:1 / 5:1 | 2 | 1.0.023 ♂ | 3 ♂ | 1.0.022 ♂ | - | 1.1.322 1.1.222 ♂ | 3 | Confluent h) | 5 / 5 | 1 | elongated process | 3 / 5 | |
| 3 ♂ | |||||||||||||||||||
| T. arenicolous Krishnaswamy, 1957 | 8 | distal 2/3 | 2 | - | - | 3:1 / - | 2 | 1.1.023 | 2 | -.1.023 | - | 1.1.321 | 4 | Distinct | 4 / 3 | - | - | - | |
| T. bergensis Por, 1965 | 9 | distal | 3 | 1 | 2 | 10:1 / - | 3 | 0.1.123 | 3 | 0.1.122 | 3 | 0.1.322 | 3 | Distinct | 5 / 5 | 2 | apical seta | 3 / 5 (1.4) | |
| T. brownei Wells, 1967 | 8 | distal | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2:1 / 3:1 | 2 | 1.0.022 | 2 | 1.0.021 | 2 | 1.0.311 | 3 | Distinct | 5 / 4 | - | - | - | |
| T. prima (Coull, 1971) | 8 | distal 1/2 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1:1 / 4:1 | 2 | 0.1.123 | 4 | 0.1.223 | 4 | 1.1.322 | 4 | Distinct | 5 / 4 | 2 | apical seta | 3 / 6 (1.5) | |
| T. bookhouti Coull, 1971 | 8 | distal | 2 | 1 | 3 | 4:1 / - | 2 | 0.1.122 | 3 | 0.1.122 | 3 | 0.1.321 i) | 3 | Confluent | 5 j) / 4 | 1 | elongated process | 3 / 3 | |
| T. unguis Wells & Rao, 1987 | 8 | distal | 3 | - | - | 3:1 / 3:1 | 2 | 1.0.022 | 3 | 1.0.021 | 3 | 1.0.311 | 3 | Distinct | 4 / 4 | 1 | elongated process | 3 / 3 | |
| 2 ♂ | |||||||||||||||||||
| T. galapagoensis Mielke, 1989 | 8 | distal | 3 | 1 | 3 | 3:1 / 4:1 | 2 | 1.0.023 | 3 | 1.0.022 | 3 | 1.0.321 1.0.211 ♂ | 3 | Distinct | 5 / 4 | 1 | elongated process | 3 / 3 | |
| 2 ♂ | |||||||||||||||||||
| T. santacruzensis Mielke, 1997 | - | - | 3 ♂ | 2 ♂ | 3 ♂ | - / 1.8:1 | 2 ♂ | 1.1.023 ♂ | 4 ♂ | 1.1.022 ♂ | 4 ♂ | 1.1.222 ♂ | 4 ♂ | - | - | 2 k) | apical seta | 3 / 6 (1.5) | |
| T. pacificus Burgess, 1998 | 9 | distal | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2.6:1 / - | 2 | 1.1.123 | 3 | 1.1.222 | 3 | 1.1.322 | 3 | Distinct | 5 / 6 | - | - | - | |
| T. bermudensis Mussini et al., 2025 | 9 | distal | 3 | 1 | 3 | 10:1 / - | 2 | 0.1.223 | 3 | 0.1.223 | 3 | 0.1.322 l) | 3 | Distinct | 5 / 6 | - | - | - | |
| T. concavus sp. nov. | 9 | distal | 3 | 2 | 4 | 2.6:1 / 6.5:1 | 3 | 1.1.123 | 3 | 1.1.122 | 3 | 1.1.322 1.1.222 ♂ | 3 | Distinct | 5 / 6 | 1 | elongated process | 3 / 5 | This study |
| T. spinulifer sp. nov. | 9 | distal | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1.6:1 / 3.5:1 | 2 | 1.1.123 | 3 | 1.1.122 | 3 | 1.1.322 1.1.222 ♂ | 3 | Distinct | 5 / 6 | 1 | elongated process | 3 / 5 | This study |
| T. brevisetosus sp. nov. | 9 | distal | 3 | 2 | 2 | 4.1:1 / 6:1 | 3 | 1.1.123 | 3 | 1.1.122 | 3 | 1.1.322 1.1.222 ♂ | 3 | Distinct | 5 / 6 | 1 | elongated process | 3 / 4 | This study |
| T. unisetus sp. nov. | 9 | distal | 3 | 2 | 1 | 4.1:1 / 4.1:1 | 3 | 1.1.123 | 3 | 1.1.122 | 3 | 1.1.322 1.1.222 ♂ | 3 | Distinct | 5 / 5 | 1 | elongated process | 3 / 5 | This study |
| T. protuberans sp. nov. | 9 | distal | 3 | 2 | 4 | 3:1 / 3.1:1 | 3 | 1.1.123 | 3 | 1.1.122 | 3 | 1.1.322 1.1.222 ♂ | 3 | Distinct | 5 / 6 | 1 | elongated process | 3 / 5 | This study |
Despite sharing the diagnostic characters of Tetragoniceps and a unique armature pattern of P2–P4, the five new species exhibit considerable interspecific variation in several appendicular characters, including the setation of the mandibular and maxillular exopods and P1 enp-2, the relative length of the inner setae on the P2–P4 exopods, the morphology of P5, and the shape of the caudal ramus. These characters occur in various combinations among the Korean species, indicating considerable morphological diversity within Tetragoniceps.
The armature of the female P4 exp-3 in the five new species consists of seven elements, including three stout (spiniform) inner elements, unlike the slender inner setae on P2–P3 exp-3. In previously described Tetragoniceps species, the number of inner elements on female P4 exp-3 has been reported as varying from one to three (
The five newly described species exhibit several sexually dimorphic characters typical of Tetragoniceps, including elongation of the caudal ramus and the presence of an outer apophysis on the male P2 enp-2. Notably, all five new species show an additional modification of the outer distal corner of the male P4 exp-2, which is either elongate and recurved (indicated by arrowhead in Fig.
In the five newly described species, the male P4 exp-3 also exhibits remarkable sexual dimorphism in the loss of the distal-most inner seta, resulting in a setal armature formula of 222. Similar sexual dimorphism is observed in other species for which males have been recorded (
Further attention should be paid to these traits of P4 exp-2 and exp-3 when analyzing the phylogenetic relationships of tetragonicipitid taxa.
Males of Tetragoniceps are currently known for 13 species, including the five newly described Korean species. Based on our detailed examination of these five new species, we were able to compare their morphological features and identify a common pattern in the structure of the male P5 exopod. In most species, the exopod is single-segmented and its distal margin extends into an elongate process, whereas three species (T. bergensis, T. prima, and T. scotti) retain the two-segmented condition without morphological deformation of the distal segment. However, the male attributed to T. brownei possesses a comparatively short P5 exopod (length-to-width ratio, ~ 1.0) with four elements (
The taxonomic position of T. santacruzensis is also questionable, due to the absence of the outer process on the first antennulary segment. Evaluation of its generic placement is further complicated by the lack of information on female morphology, particularly the structure of P5, because this species was described from a single male specimen.
The discovery of five previously undescribed species from Korean waters represents the first confirmed record of Tetragoniceps from the northwestern Pacific region and substantially extends the known distribution of the genus. This finding suggests that the diversity of Tetragoniceps in the northwestern Pacific has been considerably underestimated. The revised comparison of diagnostic characters presented in Table
We are grateful to the editor and two reviewers for their constructive comments and valuable suggestions, which helped us to improve the manuscript.
The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.
No ethical statement was reported.
The authors accept full responsibility for the content of the manuscript, including the disclosure of any use of AI.
No AI tools were used in the preparation of this manuscript.
The study of four of the five new species described herein was supported by the management of Marine Fishery Bio-resources Center (2026) funded by the National Marine Biodiversity Institute of Korea (
Writing - original draft: KC, JS. Writing - review and editing: JL, JGK.
All of the data that support the findings of this study are available in the main text.