Published online by Cambridge University Press: 11 May 2009
The Parastenocaridae constitute a family of minute vermiform copepods, principally occurring in subterranean waters, including the subsurface waters of marine beaches. The two species of Parastenocaris referred to in this note were collected in Britain for the first time in 1966, during a survey of the harpacticoid fauna of some beaches on the Isle of Anglesey, North Wales (Geddes, 1972). Numerous females and males of both species were obtained from sand at the source of a spring emerging (at high water mark) on to the beach at Rhosneigr (O.S. Grid Ref. SH 315730).
The previously known distribution of these two Parastenocaris species has been summarized by Enckell (1969), whose paper should be consulted for full references and distribution maps. Briefly, P. phyllura Kiefer has been recorded from fresh water in the central and northern parts of middle Europe, and from brackish-water beaches bordering the Baltic and the North Sea coast of continental Europe, while P. vicesima Klie has been recorded from marine and brackish-water beaches around the Baltic and adjacent parts of the North Sea.