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Suborder CYMOTHOIDA Wägele, 1989


Compiler and date details

April 2011 - Kelly Merrin

Introduction

The Cymothoida include those families of the former Flabellifera that are scavengers, ectoparasites, blood-sucker or predators (Dreyer & Wägele 2001). Primitively, the group has evolved from the scavenging and predatory feeding strategy towards parasitism on fish and other Crustacea. In the most basal families (e.g. Cirolanidae) the mandibular molar is an articulating toothed blade. This structure and the whole mandible is variously modified and reduced to a more piercing structure in the more parasitic families.

While it is possible to place some families into larger monophyletic groups (former suborders into superfamilies) the remainder are lumped here for the time being in a polyphyletic superfamily Cymothoidea.

 

Diagnosis

Mandible incisor multidentate; lacinia mobilis absent; spine row a lobe with row of independent short simple spines; molar blade-like, with curved row of denticles along distal margin (or mandible variously reduced from this condition); uropodal rami ventral to pleotelson, articulating from side to side in vertical axis inside branchial space; pleotelson underside flat, without ventrolateral ridges (pleopods not enclosed laterally); pleopods 1–5 similar.

 

History of changes

Note that this list may be incomplete for dates prior to September 2013.
Published As part of group Action Date Action Type Compiler(s)
05-Aug-2022 05-Mar-2012 MODIFIED
05-Aug-2022 06-May-2011 MODIFIED
05-Aug-2022 29-Jun-2010 MODIFIED
12-Feb-2010 (import)