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Oncaea

Oncaea is a genus of copepods. The genus contains bioluminescent species. Unlike other bioluminescent copepods, Oncaea have an internal (non-secreted) bioluminescence. Oncaea contains the following species:

Last revised
Jul 25, 2026
Read time
≈ 2 min
Length
481 w
Citations
5
Source
Oncaea
Male Oncaea venusta
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Clade: Pancrustacea
Class: Copepoda
Order: Cyclopoida
Family: Oncaeidae
Genus: Oncaea
Philippi, 1843
Synonyms 1
  • Antaria Dana, 1846
  • Myspictosum Kazachenko & Avdeev, 1977

Oncaea is a genus of copepods. The genus contains bioluminescent species.2 Unlike other bioluminescent copepods, Oncaea have an internal (non-secreted) bioluminescence.3 Oncaea contains the following species:1

  • Oncaea africana Shmeleva, 1979
  • Oncaea alboranica Shmeleva, 1979
  • Oncaea atlantica Shmeleva, 1967
  • Oncaea bispinosa Böttger-Schnack, 2002
  • Oncaea bowmani Heron, 1977
  • Oncaea brocha Heron, 1977
  • Oncaea brodskii Shmeleva, 1968
  • Oncaea clevei Früchtl, 1923
  • Oncaea compacta Heron, 1977
  • Oncaea convexa Heron, 1977
  • Oncaea cristata Böttger-Schnack, 2005
  • Oncaea crypta Böttger-Schnack, 2005
  • Oncaea curta G. O. Sars, 1916
  • Oncaea curvata Giesbrecht, 1902
  • Oncaea damkaeri Heron, 1977
  • Oncaea delicata Heron, English & Damkaer, 1984
  • Oncaea englishi Heron, 1977
  • Oncaea furnestini Shmeleva, 1979
  • Oncaea glabra Heron & Frost, 2000
  • Oncaea grossa Heron & Frost, 2000
  • Oncaea heronae Malt, 1982
  • Oncaea illgi Heron, 1977
  • Oncaea infantula K. T. Gordeeva, 1972
  • Oncaea insolita Heron & Frost, 2000
  • Oncaea lacinia Heron, English & Damkaer, 1984
  • Oncaea latimana K. T. Gordeeva, 1975
  • Oncaea longipes Shmeleva, 1968
  • Oncaea longiseta Shmeleva, 1968
  • Oncaea macilenta Heron, 1977
  • Oncaea media Giesbrecht, 1891
  • Oncaea mediterranea (Claus, 1863)
  • Oncaea memorata K. T. Gordeeva, 1973
  • Oncaea minima Shmeleva, 1968
  • Oncaea minor Shmeleva, 1979
  • Oncaea mollicula K. T. Gordeeva, 1975
  • Oncaea notopus Giesbrecht, 1891
  • Oncaea oceanica K. T. Gordeeva, 1972
  • Oncaea olsoni Heron, 1977
  • Oncaea ornata Giesbrecht, 1891
  • Oncaea ovalis Shmeleva, 1966
  • Oncaea parabathyalis Böttger-Schnack, 2005
  • Oncaea paraclevei Böttger-Schnack, 2001
  • Oncaea parila Heron, 1977
  • Oncaea petila Heron, 1977
  • Oncaea philippinensis (Kazachenko & Avdeev, 1977)
  • Oncaea platysetosa Boxshall & Böttger, 1987
  • Oncaea prendeli Shmeleva, 1966
  • Oncaea prolata Heron, 1977
  • Oncaea pumilis Heron, 1977
  • Oncaea rimula Heron & Frost, 2000
  • Oncaea rotata Heron & Frost, 2000
  • Oncaea rotunda Heron, 1977
  • Oncaea rotundata Boxshall, 1977
  • Oncaea scottodicarloi Heron & Bradford-Grieve, 1995
  • Oncaea setosa Heron, 1977
  • Oncaea shmelevi K. T. Gordeeva, 1972
  • Oncaea tenella G. O. Sars, 1916
  • Oncaea tenuimana Giesbrecht, 1891
  • Oncaea tregoubovi Shmeleva, 1968
  • Oncaea venusta Philippi, 1843
  • Oncaea vodjanitskii Shmeleva & Delalo, 1965
  • Oncaea waldemari Bersano & Boxshall, 1996
  • Oncaea walleni Heron, 1977
  • Oncaea zernovi Shmeleva, 1966

A number of nomina dubia and species inquirendae have also been described in Oncaea:1

Nomina dubia
  • Oncaea neobscura Razouls, 1969
  • Oncaea obscura Farran, 1908
  • Oncaea parobscura Shmeleva, 1979
Species inquirendae
  • Oncaea bathyalis Shmeleva, 1968
  • Oncaea crassimana (Dana, 1849)
  • Oncaea frosti Heron, 2002
  • Oncaea gracilis (Dana, 1852)
  • Oncaea obtusa (Dana, 1852)
References

References

  1. Geoff Boxshall (2011). T. Chad Walter & Geoff Boxshall (ed.). "Oncaea Philippi, 1843". World Copepoda database. World Register of Marine Species. Retrieved February 24, 2011.
  2. Herring, Peter J. (1987). "Systematic distribution of bioluminescence in living organisms". Journal of Bioluminescence and Chemiluminescence. 1 (3): 147–163. doi:10.1002/bio.1170010303. PMID 3503524.
  3. Herring, Peter J.; Latz, M. I.; Bannister, N. J.; Widder, E. A. (1993). "Bioluminescence of the poecilostomatoid copepod Oncaea conifera". Marine Ecology Progress Series. 94: 297–309. Bibcode:1993MEPS...94..297H. doi:10.3354/meps094297.