Peniculus hokutoae is a species of parasitic pennellid copepod.

[2] The type-host is the myctophid fish Symbolophorus evermanni and the type-locality is off Japan.

The Japanese name of this species is hokuto-kozutsu-hijikimushi.

[2] According to Ohtsuka, Nishikawa & Boxshall,[2] this species is the first record of parasitism by the genus Peniculus on a mesopelagic myctophid fish.

The species was distinguished from other congeners by (1) the presence of a conical process anterior to the rostrum; (2) the secondary elongation of the first pedigerous somite; (3) the incorporation of the third and fourth pedigerous somites into the trunk; (4) the unilobate maxillule bearing two unequal apical setae; (5) the lack of any processes on the first segment of the maxilla.