First Record of Calanopia metu Uysal & Shmeleva, 2004, A Mediterranean Calanoid Copepod from Indian Waters

The present study deals with the first record of a calanoid copepod, Calanopia metu Uysal & Shmeleva, from coastal waters of Cochin region, which is situated in the south west coast of Arabian Sea, region of Indian Ocean. A total of 48 specimens ranged from 350 µm and 512 µm were recorded from the region. The mean abundance was 1±1.4 individuals per m³. The species is native to the MediterraneanSea and was originally described in 2004 from the Levantine basin. The occurrence of Calanopia metu in the study region is inferred as an introduction of non-native species through the ballast water of cargo hold ships. For the present study, the samples of Calanopia metu were collected from three stations of Cochin estuary during the Pre-monsoon period.