Family ANTHELURIDAE Poore & Lew Ton, 1988

Ananthura billarderia

© Copyright from Poore & Lew Ton 1988.

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Introduction

The Antheluridae are an uncommon, but cosmopolitan family found from the shelf to the deep sea. Only ten species are known. Poore & Lew Ton (1988) and Poore (2001) listed all the species known, provided keys to the three genera, and recorded three species from Australia.

Diagnosis

Body 10–15 times as long as wide, non-males rarely more elongate (pereonite 7 wider than long, much shorter than pereonite 6). Pleonites 1–5 together not more than twice as long as wide, free and articulating; with plumose setae on margins of epimera or posterior margins of pleonite 5 and sometimes pleonite 4. Antenna 2 flagellum of numerous articles, longer than or shorter than peduncle. Mouthparts not produced anteriorly. Mandible compact and with weakly-toothed transverse incisor. Maxillipedal endite reaching palp article 3; palp broad (c. twice as long as wide), with 5 free articles. Pereopods 2 and 3 carpus not or weakly produced posterodistally; propodus with 1 robust seta in addition to posterodistal robust seta. Pereopods 4–7 propodus with more than 1 robust setae in addition to posterodistal robust seta. Pereopod 7 propodus with anterodistal serrate setae. Pleopods: pleopod 1 exopod operculiform alone. Statocyst single.

General References

Poore, G.C.B. 2001. Families and genera of Isopoda Anthuridea. Crustacean Issues 13: 63-173

Poore, G.C.B. & Lew Ton, H.M. 1988. Antheluridae, a new family of Crustacea (Isopoda: Anthuridea) with new species from Australia. Journal of Natural History 22: 489-506

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