Suborder CYTHEROCOPINA Baird, 1850

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Introduction

Comprises about 27 families with marine and brackish species and three families occurring in freshwater and brackish habitats. Cytherocopina (sometimes referred to as superfamily Cytheroidea) originated about 45 million years ago, but show a significant invasion of non-marine habitats only after the Permian-Triassic extinction.

Diagnosis

Carapace highly variable in size, shape and structure. Inner lamella of valves peripherally strongly calcified, fused marginal zone narrow to broad, marginal pore canals always present but sometimes rare. Normal pores simple and/or sieve-type. Central muscle scars arranged in a vertical or nearly vertical row of usually 4–5 adductor scars, some of which can be subdivided, and up to 3 frontal scars. Antennula 5–7-segmented. Antenna endopod 2–3-segmented, exopod a jointed or unjointed spinneret seta, which may be sexually dimorphic; the opening of the spinneret gland is situated at the dorsal of the spinneret seta. Maxillula carrying 2–3-segmented palp and 3 endites functioning as masticatory lobes. All three thoracopods are walking legs, only sometimes sexually dimorphic. Caudal ramus poorly developed or totally reduced. Ovaries and testes rarely enter the duplicature. Males: brush-shaped organs always present. Zenker's organ absent; hemipenis large, usually fused with caudal rami.

Diagnosis References

Meisch, C. 2000. Freshwater Ostracoda of Western and Central Europe. Heidelberg, Berlin : Spektrum Akademischer Verlag, Gmbh. Vol. 8/3 pp. 1-522. [423]

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