Superfamily CYPRIDOIDEA Baird, 1845

Museums

Regional Maps

• Cypridoideae Baird, W. 1845. Arrangement of the British Entomostraca, with a List of Species, particularly noticing those which have as yet been discovered within the bounds of the Club. Transactions of the Berwickshire Naturalist Club 74(2): 145-158.

Introduction

The cypridoids are plesiotypically active swimmers, having long natatory setae on the antennula and sometimes antenna. However, some animals adapted to a crawling and/or digging mode of life, reducing their natatory setae either partly or completely. The superfamily comprises marine formes and a majority of freshwater forms, a number of which, however, tolerate or even prefer slightly brackish water.

Diagnosis

Carapace small to very large (0.3–8 mm), with considerable variation in shape and structure. Valves usually weakly calcified. Eyes usually fused. Antennula usually 7-segmented. Exopod reduced to two setae. Antenna 4-segmented (or 5 in some males) and exopod reduced to small lobe with maximum of three setae. First thoracopod transformed into clasping organ in males. Second thoracopod transformed into walking leg with terminal claw, third thoracopod transformed into cleaning leg. Caudal ramus rod-shaped or flagelliform (reduced) rarely missing. Ductus ejaculatorius with a complex pump, the so-called Zenker's organ.

Diagnosis References

Meisch, C. 2000. Freshwater Ostracoda of Western and Central Europe. Heidelberg, Berlin : Spektrum Akademischer Verlag, Gmbh. Vol. 8/3 pp. 1-522. [55]

History of changes