Family CHAETILIIDAE Dana, 1849

Stegidotea pinnata

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Family CHAETILIIDAE Dana, 1849

Chaetilinae Dana, J.D. 1849. Conspectus crustaceorum quae in orbis terrarum circumnavigatione, Carolo Wilkes e classe Reipublicae, Foederate Duce, lexit et descripsit (continued). American Journal of Science 2: 424-428 [427] [original spelling].
Chaetiliidae Dana, 1849.

Introduction

The Chaetiliidae are a diverse family of largely flattened or vaulted isopods possessing both uropodal rami and diverse modifications of the pereopods. The most well studied are the large polar analogues, the Arctic species, Saduria entomon (Linnaeus, 1758) and the Antarctic Glyptonotus antarcticus Eights, 1852. Most other species are confined to the Southern Hemisphere but a few occur on shelves and deeper water elsewhere. Species of Macrochiridothea and Chiridotea are inhabitants of sandy beaches.

The relationships between members of this family and those of Idoteidae are not clear. While most idoteids possess only a uropodal endopod others have two rami; all have simple ambulatory pereopods 2–7.

Poore (1984) listed the genera then known and in 1985 and 1991 reviewed the status of the family and the Australian species.

Diagnosis

Body more or less flattened or vaulted, pereonites and/or coxae and pleonites with expanded epimera, straight, without flexion, tapering posteriorly. Head with prominent flat lateral lobes, sometimes with ocular notch. Pereopod 1 gnathopod-like; pereopods 2–7 ambulatory, similar, with marginal short robust setae or pereopods 1–3 subchelate, similar, differentiated from pereopod 4–7 or pereopods 1–6, similar, differentiated from pereopod 7; with prominent dactyli, unguis short. Uropodal exopod (smaller ramus) ovate, fringed with setae (if present). Pleopod 1 peduncle short (similar to other pleopods); exopod of male laminar.