Family BATHYSQUILLIDAE Manning, 1967

Museums

Regional Maps

• Bathysquillidae Manning, R.B. 1967. Preliminary account of a new genus and a new family of Stomatopoda. Crustaceana 13(2): 238-239 [238].

  Type genus:

   Bathysquilla Manning, 1963.

Introduction

Bathysquillids are 'spearers'. Two genera are described for the family, Altosquilla Bruce, 1985, and Bathysquilla Manning, 1963, and both are known from Australia. All species live in relatively deep outer shelf waters (170 to greater than 1000 metres). Manning et al. (1990) discussed the biogeography of the family.

Diagnosis

Cornea lacking rows of midband ommatidia. Corneal facets hexagonal, but poorly defined. Maxillipeds 3–4 with propodi ovate, not ribbed or beaded ventrally. Raptorial claw with ischiomeral articulation terminal, dactylus uninflated basally, with spinous inner margin. Body depressed, articulation compact. Abdominal somite 5 lacking long, posteriorly directed median spine. Telson broader than long; with distinct median carina; all primary teeth with movable apices; intermediate denticles absent. Segments of uropodal exopod fully articulated; distal segment longer than proximal; articulation of exopod segments terminal, or distal segment separated from proximal by diaeresis. Uropodal protopod with two primary spines.

General References

Bruce, A.J. 1985. Altosquilla soela, new genus, new species, a bathysquillid stomatopod from the Australian Northwest Shelf. Journal of Crustacean Biology 5(3): 468-475

Manning, R.B. 1963. Preliminary revision of the genera Pseudosquilla and Lysiosquilla with descriptions of six new genera (Crustacea: Stomatopoda). Bulletin of Marine Science of the Gulf and Caribbean 13(2): 308-328

Manning, R.B., Kropp, R.K. & Dominguez, J. 1990. Biogeography of deep-sea stomatopod Crustacea, family Bathysquillidae. Progress in Oceanography 24: 311-316

History of changes