Superfamily CRYPTONISCOIDEA Kossmann, 1880

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Introduction

Cryptoniscoids are ectoparasitic on other crustaceans (copepods, ostracods, isopods, amphipods, barnacles, and mysids) and host species have been the basis of division of the group into numerous families (Nielsen & Strömberg 1965, 1973). This taxonomic division has little support from morphological differences between the so-called families and genera (Caroli 1953; Nielsen & Strömberg 1965). Sars (1898), Kensley (1978) and Schultz (1969) have used the family name Cryptoniscidae Kossmann, 1880 in its broadest sense, treating families such as Cabiropidae Giard & Bonnier, 1887 as junior synonyms. Martin & Davis (2000) however listed seven families in this superfamily whereas Trilles' (1999) 'Section des Cryptoniscina' of superfamily Bopyroidea listed eight. Only three of the 14 families in this superfamily are represented in Australia.

After some discussion, Grygier & Bowman (1991) decided the authorship of the family Cryptoniscidae, and thereby the superfamily. Grygier (1993) reviewed further the nomenclatural history of the family.

Diagnosis

Female: Sac-like, with few distinct somites. Pereopods absent. Oostegites absent, brooding internally. Male: Mature during second larval stage (cryptoniscus). Antenna 1 with lamellar basal article, often serrated. Oral cone simple, without a sucker, directed anteriorly or posteriorly. Pereopods 3–7 slender, with setiform dactyli, coxal plates serrated. Pleopods biramous, well developed. Uropod with exopod much shorter than endopod.

General References

Caroli, E. 1953. Rassegna degli Epicaridei parassiti Epicaridei finoranoti, e notizia preliminare di uno nuovo (Paracabirops marsupialis n.g., n.sp.) del Golfo di Napoli. Pubblicazioni della Stazione Zoologica di Napoli 24: 84-91

Grygier, M.J. 1993. Cryptoniscidae s.s. (Isopoda: Epicaridea): nomenclatural history and recommendations. Publications of the Seto Marine Biological Laboratory 36: 185-195

Grygier, M.J. & Bowman, T.E. 1991. The authorship of Cryptoniscidae (Isopoda, Epicaridea); a correction. Crustaceana 61: 106

Kensley, B. 1978. Guide to the Marine Isopods of Southern Africa. Cape Town : Trustees of the South African Museum 173 pp.

Martin, J.W. & Davis, G.E. 2001. An updated classification of the recent Crustacea. Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County. Science Series 39: 1-124

Nielsen, S.-O. & Strömberg, J.-O. 1965. A new parasite of Cirolana borealis Lilljeborg belonging to the Cryptoniscidae (Crustacea Epicaridea). Sarsia 18: 38-62

Nielsen, S.-O. & Strömberg, J.-O. 1973. Morphological characters of taxonomic importance in Cryptoniscina (Isopoda Epicaridea). A scanning electron microscopic study of cryptoniscus larvae. Sarsia 52: 75-96

Sars, G.O. 1898. Parts 11, 12. Oniscidae (concluded), Bopyridae, Dajidae. 185-232, pls 89-96 in Sars, G.O. (ed.). An Account of the Crustacea of Norway with short descriptions and figures of all the species. Isopoda. Bergen : Bergen Museum Vol. 2 270 pp.

Schultz, G.A. 1969. How to Know the Marine Isopod Crustaceans. Dubuque : Wm C. Brown Company Publishers 359 pp.

Trilles, J.-P. 1999. Ordre des isopodes sous-ordre des épicarides (Epicaridea Latreille, 1825). pp. 279-352 in Forest, J. Traité de Zoologie. Anatomie, systèmatique, biologie … Tom. 7 Crustacés Fasc. 3A Péracarides. Mémoires de l'Institut Océanographique, Monaco 19: 1-446

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