Peniculus hokutoae

Peniculus hokutoae is a species of parasitic pennellid copepod. It was described in 2018 from a single female. The type-host is the myctophid fish Symbolophorus evermanni and the type-locality is off Japan. The Japanese name of this species is hokuto-kozutsu-hijikimushi.
According to Ohtsuka, Nishikawa & Boxshall, this species is the first record of parasitism by the genus Peniculus on a mesopelagic myctophid fish.

Description

The species was distinguished from other congeners by the presence of a conical process anterior to the rostrum; the secondary elongation of the first pedigerous somite; the incorporation of the third and fourth pedigerous somites into the trunk; the unilobate maxillule bearing two unequal apical setae; the lack of any processes on the first segment of the maxilla.