A NEW PERSPECTIVE ON THE DISTRIBUTION OF CHAETOGNATHA, SPADELLIDAE, Paraspadella nana Owre, 1963: TWO NEW OCCURRENCES FROM THE WESTERN TROPICAL ATLANTIC OCEAN

Abstract

Two new records of Paraspadella nana (Owre, 1963) are reported. The individuals were found in two distinct locations apart more than 1,000 km from each other (the Abrolhos Bank and the Tamandaré bay, Northeastern Brazil). Emergent traps for demersal zooplankton were used for the sample collection. This methodology is proposed as the most efficient to catch Spadellidae species and possibly changing the perspective on the distribution of this group. The finding reported here significantly expends the distributional range of P. nana in the Western Tropical Atlantic Ocean..