Family LEPTOCHELIIDAE Lang, 1973
Undescribed species figured as Paratanais ignotus
© Copyright from Hale 1929.
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Family LEPTOCHELIIDAE Lang, 1973
Compiler and date details
April 2011 - Kelly Merrin
Introduction
The family is worldwide at shelf depths only. Over 40 species in 12 genera are known. The family was erected by Lang (1973) but considered synonymous with Paratanaidae by Sieg (1973, 1976, 1983). The same author (Sieg 1984) re-established the family by giving a much more restricted definition of the Paratanaidae.
The species 'Leptochelia ignotus' has been widely reported following Hale (1929) but many species may be involved, probably not in this genus (see Incertae sedis).
Diagnosis
With eyes. Pleon with 5 pleonites. Palp of maxilla 1 with 2 distal setae. Labium consisting of inner and outer lobe, without terminal palp. Maxilliped unfused, without coxae. Epignath falciform. Pereopods ambulatory. Dactylus and terminal spine of pereopods 4–6 fused to a slender claw. Uropods biramous, endopod with more than 2 articles. Marsupium formed by 4 pairs of sheet-like oostegites. Protogynous hermaphrodites with up to 4 different types of males (1 primary and 3 secondary). Sexual dimorphism well developed. Males differ slightly in body shape but extremely in antenna 1 (3–articled peduncle with multiarticled flagellum bearing many aesthetascs) and cheliped (in several cases it is extraordinary enlarged or thickened).
General References
Bird, G.J. & Larsen, K. 2009. Tanaidacean phylogeny – the second step: the basal paratanaoidean families (Crustacea: Malacostraca). Arthropod Systematics and Phylogeny 67: 137-158
Gutu, M. & Sieg, J. 1999. Ordre des tanaïdacés (Tanaidacea Hansen, 1895). 353-389 in Forest, J. Traité de Zoologie. Anatomie, systématique, biologie … Tome 7 Crustacés. Fascicule 3A Péracarides. Mémoires de l'Institut Océanographique, Monaco 19: 1-450
Hale, H.M. 1929. The Crustaceans of South Australia. Adelaide : Government Printer Vol. 2 201-380 pp.
Lang, K. 1973. Taxonomische und phylogenetische 8. Die Gattungen Leptochelia Dana, Paratanais Dana, Heterotanais G.O. Sars und Nototanais Richardson. Dazu einige Bemerkungen über die Monokonophora und ein Nachtrag. Zoologica Scripta 2: 197-229
Larsen, K. 2005. Deep-Sea Tanaidacea (Peracarida) from the Gulf of Mexico. Leiden : Brill 381 pp.
Sieg, J. 1973. Ein Beitrag zum Natürlichen System der Dikonophora Lang. (Textteil, Tafelteil). PhD thesis. Kiel : University of Kiel 298 pp.
Sieg, J. 1976. Zum natürlichen System der Tanaidacea Lang (Crustacea, Tanaidacea). Zeitschrift für Zoologische Systematik und Evolutionsforschung 14: 177-198
Sieg, J. 1983. Crustaceorum Catalogus editus a H.-E. Gruner & L.B. Holthuis Pars 6. Tanaidacea. The Hague : Dr W. Junk 552 pp.
Sieg, J. 1984. Neuere Erkenntnisse zum natürlichen System der Tanaidacea. Eine phylogenetische Studie. Zoologica (Stuttgart) 136: 1-132