Cytotaxonomical studies in family Eucalanidae (Copepoda)

Abstract

Eight species of copepods belonging to the genera Eucalanus and Rhincalanus, Eucalanidae, Calanoida, have been investigated cytologically. All the species revealed a diploid number of 20 and haploid number of 10 chromosomes during the mitotic and meiotic metaphases respectively. The other details of the karyotypes, however, were quite apart one another. The results of the studies have been utilised in discussing cytotaxonomic relationship on the intra and inter-generic level and to trace the possible path of evolution of the karyotype