First record, taxonomy and temporal/spatial dispersion pattern of species in genus Pontella (Crustacea:Copepoda:Calanoida) from coastal/estuarine waters of Bushehr

In this research, taxonomic study and species identification in the gnus Pontella, collected from five stations during an annual period at coastal/estuarine northern waters of Bushehr were done, and two congeneric species in the genus of Pontella Dana, 1846 including Pontella danae var. ceylonica and Pontella investigatoris were first identified/described from Persian Gulf and Oman Sea. Also Pontella danae var. ceylonica was recognized on the basis of female specimens, and Pontella investigatoris was known on the basis of male specimens, and a co-occurrence of one male (P investigatoris ) and 2 female at the most samples was accounted. Based on the result of dbRDA, the most important and effective environmental parameters on dispersion pattern of P. investigatoris were salinity and depth, and the most important and effective environmental parameters on dispersion pattern of P. danae var. ceylonica were depth, salinity, transparency depth, respectively. Consequently the results of this study demonstrated that two congeneric identified species are marine, have a tendency to offshore waters.