The evolutionary success of any species living in a variable environment depends on its capacity to enhance the probability of finding food and mates, and escaping predators. In the case of copepods of the genus Centropages, as in all planktonic copepods,

Studies on the Copepod community structure and function under oceanographic influences and anthropic impacts was carried out in the narrowest continental shelf of Brazil. A total of 65 taxa were identified, of which 39 were Calanoida. The most abundant

Centropages typicus and Centropages hamatus are two of the most abundant copepods on the continental shelf in the mid-Atlantic region of the western North Atlantic. Their range extends from the Scotian Shelf (C. typicus) and the Grand Banks (C. hamatus)

We briefly introduce the different chapters of this special issue which review the current knowledge and understanding of the biology and ecology of Centropages typicus obtained over the last 30 years. The papers are grouped into two major theme areas: