The epizoic diatoms Pseudohimantidium pacificum and Falcula hyalina, which live on copepods, were investigated using light and electron microscopes, based on material gathered from different marine environments along the Brazilian coast. Pseudohimantidium pacificum is reported for the first time for the Southwestern Atlantic Ocean, significantly enlarging its range of geographic distribution. This species usually covers the entire body surface of the copepods Corycaeus amazonicus and Euterpina acutifrons, and of cypris larvae of Cirripedia. Falcula hyalina uses a higher number of copepod hosts, particularly Oithona oswaldocruzii, Pseudodiaptomus richardii and Acartia spp. The valve morphology and biometrical data of both diatoms were within the range... |