Order AMPHIONIDACEA Williamson, 1973

Museums

Regional Maps

• Amphionidacea Williamson, D.I. 1973. Amphionides reynaudii (H. Milne-Edwards), representative of a proposed new order of eucaridan Malacostraca. Crustaceana 25(1): 35-50 5 figs [47].
• Amphionidea Dana, J.D. 1852. Crustacea. U. S. Exploring Expedition. During the years 1838, 1839, 1840, 1841, 1842. Under the command of Charles Wilkes, U.S.N. Philadelphia : C. Sherman Vol. 13 1618 pp. [Pt 1: 1–685; Pt 2: 686–1618] [614, 1435].
• Amphionelloidea Balss, H. 1957. Dr. H. G. Bronn's Klassen und Ordnungen des Tierreichs. Edn 2 5(1)(7)(12). 1505-1672 pp. [1525].

Taxonomic Decision for Synonymy

• Holthuis, L.B. 1993. The Recent Genera of the Caridean and Stenopodidean Shrimps (Crustacea, Decapoda). Alblasserdam : Ridderprint Offsetdrukkerij B.V. 328 pp. [316]

Introduction

The order Amphionidacea is represented by a single, rather variable, pelagic species, Amphionides reynaudii (H. Milne Edwards, 1833). For many years the relationships of this species caused much taxonomic confusion. This was due, in part, to the fact that there are at least 13 developmental stages (Heergaard 1969), and that it was over 70 years before the adult was described (Zimmer 1904). Even then, a new genus, Amphionides, was created because the relationship with the larval genus Amphion was not recognised. Most authors assigned the group to the Caridea. The decision that a separate order was needed was made only relatively recently by Williamson (1973), and this now has wide acceptance.

Diagnosis

Carapace thin, fused to thorax, greatly developed laterally in females; first thoracic appendage forming a functional maxilliped; second to seventh thoracic appendages essentially uniramous in adults, with exopods reduced to stumps, eighth thoracic appendage absent in females; first pleopod in female large, extending towards anterior of thorax so as to form brood pouch with sides of carapace. (After Schram 1986).

General References

Heegaard, P. 1969. The larvae of decapod Crustacea. The Amphionidae. Dana Reports 12: 392-399

Schram, F.R. 1986. Crustacea. London, New York : Oxford University Press 606 pp.

Williamson, D.I. 1973. Amphionides reynaudii (H. Milne-Edwards), representative of a proposed new order of eucaridan Malacostraca. Crustaceana 25(1): 35-50 5 figs

Zimmer, C. 1904. Amphionides valdiviae n.g. n.sp. Zoologischer Anzeiger 28: 225-228

History of changes