Family ACANTHASPIDIIDAE Menzies, 1962

Mexicope westralia

© Copyright from Just 2001.

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Introduction

The Acanthaspidiidae are a family of about 30 deep-water species in two genera. They were reviewed by Brandt (1991) and Just (2001) whose papers are the basis of the diagnosis.

Diagnosis

Head twice as wide as long, with prominent rostrum; eyes absent or obsolete, round. Pereonite 1 with simple anterolaterally directed lappets (tergite projections), 2-4 with bifid lappets, 5-7 with simple or toothed lappets. Head and pereonites 1-4 about as long or longer than pereonites 5-7. All pleonites fused into pleotelson, laterally notched or spinose. Antenna 2 with long acute exopod, flagellum as long as peduncle. Maxilliped with palp significantly narrower than endite. Pereopods ambulatory, subsimilar (pereopod 1 slightly smaller); coxae 2-7 simple, inserted ventrally; dactylus length one-third of propodus. Male pleopod 2 tylet extremely elongate, often curled. Pleopod 3 with 3, rarely numerous, setae on each ramus. Uropods linear, inserted terminally, exopod shorter than endopod. Anus covered by pleopods, separate from pleopodal chamber.

General References

Brandt, A. 1991. A revision of the Acanthaspidiidae Menzies, 1962 (Isopoda: Asellota). Journal of the Linnean Society of London, Zoology 102: 203-252

Just, J. 2001. New species of Mexicope, stat. nov. and Ianthopsis from Australia and a rediagnosis of the Acanthaspidiidae (Isopoda: Asellota). Invertebrate Taxonomy 15: 909-925

Menzies, R.J. 1962. The isopods of the abyssal depths in the Atlantic Ocean. Vema Research Series 1: 79-206