Family BENTHEUPHAUSIIDAE Holt & Tattersall, 1905

Bentheuphausia ambylops

© Copyright Sars 1885:1

Museums

Regional Maps

• Bentheuphausinae Holt, E.W.L. & Tattersall, W.M. 1905. Schizopodous Crustacea from the north-east Atlantic slope. Scientific Investigations, Fisheries Branch, Ireland 1902–1903(II, App. IV): 99-152 [112].

Introduction

This monotypic family was erected for Bentheuphausia amblyops Sars, 1885. It is generally considered to be the more primitive of the two euphausidean families because the seventh and eighth thoracic legs are distinctly retained (may be present as `nobs' in some euphausiid species), and a petasma and well-developed eyes are lacking. Biology, distribution and larval development are discussed by Baker et al. (1990), Boden et al. (1955), Mauchline & Fisher (1969), Brinton (1975) and Mauchline (1980).

The authorship of the Bentheuphausiidae has been widely attributed to Colosi (1917), but the taxon was clearly first proposed by Holt & Tattersall (1905: 112).

Diagnosis

Male with endopod of first pair of pleopods not modified as a complex petasma. Basipod of first pair of pleopods carrying 1–6 spines. Endopod of first maxilla two-jointed. Endopod of second maxilla three-jointed. Outer uropod with a sub-distal transverse suture. Eyes poorly developed. All eight thoracic legs well developed. Photophores absent. (After Brinton et al. 1999).

General References

Baker, A. de C., Boden, B.P. & Brinton, E. 1990. A Practical Guide to the Euphausiids of the World. London : British Museum (Natural History) 96 pp.

Boden, B.P., Johnson, M.W. & Brinton, E. 1955. The Euphausiacea (Crustacea) of the North Pacific. Bulletin of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography 6: 287-400

Brinton, E. 1975. Euphausiids of Southeast Asian Waters. Naga Report. Scientific Results of Marine Investigations of the South China Sea and the Gulf of Thailand 4(5): 1-287

Brinton, E., Ohman, M.D., Townsend, A.W., Knight, M.D. & Bridgeman, A.L. 1999. Euphausiids of the World Ocean. Version 1.0 (Mac). ETI CD-ROM, University of Amsterdam

Colosi, G. 1917. Crostacei. Part II. Eufausiacei. Raccolte planctoniche fatte dalla R. Nave "Liguria". Firenze : Pubblic Ist. St. Sup. 2 pt 7, 165-205 pp., pls xiv-xvi

Holt, E.W.L. & Tattersall, W.M. 1905. Schizopodous Crustacea from the north-east Atlantic slope. Scientific Investigations, Fisheries Branch, Ireland 1902–1903(II, App. IV): 99-152

Mauchline, J. 1980. The biology of mysids and euphausiids. Advances in Marine Biology 18: 1-681

Mauchline, J. & Fisher, L.R. 1969. The biology of euphausiids. Advances in Marine Biology 7: 1-454