The genus (Harpacticoida, Canthocamptidae): a reappraisal, with proposal of a new subfamily, a new genus, and a new species.

A new species of closely related to was found in sediment samples taken from a polluted estuarine system in north-western Mexico. The genus was relegated to in 1986, and this finding prompted us to evaluate the current taxonomic position of the genus within the Canthocamptidae. The latter has been subdivided in several, seemingly unnatural subfamilies in the past to better understand the relationships between its constituent taxa. In this study we propose a new subfamily, the Cletocamptinae for , , and gen. nov., defined by the synapomorphic subdistal ventral spinules on the rostrum. The genus is proposed for , , and , and is supported by the 'cletodid' shape of the body and the reduced one-segmented endopod of the fourth swimming leg. includes all the other species with long slender spinules on the posterior margin of prosomites and with the sexually modified inner spine on the second endopodal segment of the second swimming leg in the males. retained the primitive female fifth leg with exopod and baseoendopod separated, and the primitive prehensile endopod of the first leg, but is defined by the loss of the antennary exopod. Other (syn)apomorphies are given, and the evolution of the mandibular palp is briefly discussed. Additionally, a diagnosis for the new subfamily, , an amended narrower diagnosis for , the diagnosis for , and a phylogenetic analysis supporting the proposal of these new taxa, are given.