On a small collection of Laophontidae T. Scott (Copepoda: Harpacticoida) from Mexico. I. New species and new records of Laophonte Philippi and Paralaophonte Lang

As a continued effort to improve the knowledge of the Mexican harpacticoid fauna, new records and new species have been reported during the last 14 years. This is the first of two contributions in which new species and new records of Laophontidae T. Scott from central and southern Sinaloa State (north-western Mexico) and from the Gulf of Mexico are presented. In this contribution new species and new records of the genera Laophonte Philippi (Laophonte paradduensis sp. nov., assignable to the cornuta-group and closely related to Laophonte adduensis Sewell) and Paralaophonte Lang (Paralaophonte pacificaemulator sp. nov., Paralaophonte pacificavicinum sp. nov., Paralaophonte pacifica Lang, Paralaophonte congenera (Sars) and Paralaophonte zimmeri (Douwe)) are provided. Paralaophonte pacificaemulator sp. nov., P. pacificavicinum sp. nov. and P. pacifica are hypothesized to co-occur sympatrically in north-western Mexico.