Morphology of the copepodid stage of three marine lernaeopodids (Crustacea: Copepoda) from the South-West Coast of India

Full illustrated descriptions are presented of the copepodid stage of Pseudocharopinus narcinae (Pillai), Isobranchia appendiculata Heegaard and Brachiella trichiuri Gnanamuthu. The structure of the copepodid of P. narcinae is similar to that of P. dentatus (Wilson). The copepodids of both I. appendiculata and B. trichiuri are identical with regard to the structure of the second antenna, first maxilla and second maxilla. This structural similarity of the copepodids of I. appendiculata and B. trichiuri indicate the phylogenetic position of the Brachiella and Clavella groups within the family Lernaeopodidae