Family CORALLANIDAE Hansen, 1890

Arganthona rostrata

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Family CORALLANIDAE Hansen, 1890

Compiler and date details

Niel L. Bruce, Helen M. Lew Ton & Gary C.B. Poore

Introduction

The Corallanidae comprise species from marine, with a few species from estuarine and freshwater, environments. Most are probably benthic, although several are temporary epizoans or commensal micropredators of fish and decapod crustaceans. The family is confined to tropical and subtropical regions and may be separated from related families using keys in Bruce et al. (1982), Bruce (1985), or in the worldwide review of Delaney (1989). Six genera now comprise the Corallanidae, which has a complex nomenclatural history (Bruce 1982b; Bruce et al. 1982; Delaney 1989). Delaney (1989) provided keys to genera, a cladistic analysis, and discussion on biogeography and phylogeny. Australian taxa have been documented by Hale (1925, 1940) and Bruce (1982a, 1982b). The diagnosis is from Bruce et al. (1982) and Delaney (1989).

Diagnosis

Dorsum moderately arched, often with dorsal setae, spines and/or tubercles. Eyes lateral. Pleon of 5 pleonites plus pleotelson. Antenna 1 with 2- or 3-articled peduncle; antenna 2 with 5-articled peduncle; flagella of both distinct, multiarticulate. Frontal lamina present; clypeus generally wide; labrum usually laterally encompassed by clypeus. Mandible with narrow, 2- or 3-dentate incisor, lacinia mobilis reduced or absent, molar process absent or vestigial; palp 3-articled. Maxilla 1 with outer lobe simple or falcate with 1 or 2 major terminal robust setae; medial lobe small, simple. Maxilla 2 reduced, 1- or 2-lobed, without stout robust setae. Maxilliped without endite; palp slender, of 4 or 5 articles, without robust setae. Pereopods 1-3 usually ambulatory; pereopods 4-7 always ambulatory. Pleopods biramous, all lamellar. Uropods inserted at anterolateral margins of pleotelson, both rami articulate.