Parastenocaris glacialis (Crustacea: Copepoda, Parastenocarididae) in the Faroe Islands

Abstract

Faroese freshwater lakes and brooks have very small stretches of sand/gravel scattered along their shores. In spite of this, these stretches sometimes contain exclusively interstitial animals, living among the sand grains in the small beaches. A search was made for the harpacticid crustacean, Parastenocaris glacialis Noodt, which has previously been found in Fennoscandia, in
Iceland, and on Spitzbergen. The species was found in lakes and small sand banks in brooks in Streymoy, Vágar, and Sandoy. The question of how this small and delicate species (0.35 mm long) has reached the Faroes is still unresolved. Certain alternatives are discussed.