Home Introduction What is an ostracod? World species list Southern Ocean list About the authors Bibliography Acknowledgements Links Last updated 14 March 2008 Southern Ocean list > Discoconchoecia elegans > Notes Discoconchoecia elegans Drawings   Maps Download species PDF Discoconchoecia elegans (Sars, 1866) Records: 594 A common and abundant mesopelagic species that shows marked latitudinal variations in carapace length, which is probably indicative of the occurrence of cryptic species. Originally described from North Atlantic off the Lofoten Islands (Northwest coast of Norway), there are common Southern Ocean forms that superficially look very similar. Other than size, the morphological characteristics of the first and second antennae, which are classically used to separate halocyprid species, provide no evidence to support the separation of these size forms into separate species. The characteristics of the other limbs require investigation. If these different size forms do not prove to be different taxa, then this species will be confirmed as a rare example of a species that occurs ubiquitously throughout most of the World's oceans. Southern Ocean n Mean mm s.d. Range mm Female 187 1.638 0.060 1.52-1.84 Male 92 1.756 0.023 1.60-1.66 A-1 174 1.452 0.035 1.36-1.56 A-2 113 1.197 0.045 1.10-1.32 A-3 71 0.936 0.064 0.74-1.02           Benguela Current n Mean mm s.d. Range mm Female 150 1.356 0.055 1.20-1.46 Male 86 1.265 0.034 1.20-1.34 A-1 185 1.044 0.057 0.86-1.14 A-2 59 0.741 0.038 0.64-0.82 A-3                   Equatorial Atlantic n Mean mm s.d. Range mm Female 2080 1.229 0.052 1.10-1.38 Male 545 1.240 0.057 1.02-1.38 A-1 310 1.026 0.029 0.98-1.08 A-2 440 0.900 0.049 0.70-0.96 A-3