Family NANNOSQUILLIDAE Manning, 1980
- Nannosquillidae Manning, R.B. 1980. The superfamilies, families, and genera of recent stomatopod Crustacea, with diagnoses of six new families. Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington 93(2): 362-372 [368].
Introduction
This family includes 13 genera, of which eight are represented in the Indo-west Pacific, and six, Acanthosquilla, Alachosquilla, Austrosquilla, Bigelowina, Hadrosquilla and Pullosquilla, have been recorded from Australian waters. All are `spearers'. Like lysiosquillids, nannosquillids occupy burrows in soft substrates and may be abundant on intertidal sand and mudflats. Ahyong (2001) provided keys for identification.
Diagnosis
Cornea subglobular; typically with six rows of hexagonal ommatidia in the mid-band. Third and fourth maxillipeds with propodi ribbed or beaded ventrally. Abdominal segments loosely articulated. Raptorial claw with ischiomeral articulation terminal, dactylus uninflated basally; ischium usually exceeding half merus length. Pereiopods 1–2 with subcircular endopods; pereiopod 3 with ovate endopod. Telson lacking distinct median carina; primary teeth and denticles distinct. Uropodal protopod with at most two primary spines; dorsal margin of uropodal endopod with strong dorsal proximal fold; exopod segments articulate terminally.
General References
Ahyong, S.T. 2001. Revision of the Australian Stomatopod Crustacea. Records of the Australian Museum Suppl. 26: 1-326