Family CYAMIDAE Rafinesque, 1815

Cyamus balaenopterae Barnard, 1931

© Copyright from Leung 1967: fig. 4b

Museums

Regional Maps

Introduction

Cyamid amphipods or whale lice are exclusively ectoparasites of whales. They are found in all major zoogeographic zones and the world fauna currently comprises six genera (McCain & Steinberg 1970; Laubitz 1993; Martin & Heyning 1999; Margolis et al. 2000). Most Australian cyamid records have been documented by Sedlak-Weinstein (1991, 1992a, 1992b).

Diagnosis

Body dorsoventrally flattened. Antenna 2 flagellum absent. Mouthparts reduced. Mandible molar present or absent. Maxilliped outer plates absent. Pereopods 3–4 absent, 5–7 directed posteriorly. Uropod 2 absent.

General References

Laubitz, D.R. 1993. Caprellidea (Crustacea: Amphipoda): towards a new synthesis. pp. 965-976 in Moore, P.G. & Watling, L. (eds). Amphipods, a noble obsession: essays in memory of J. Laurens Barnard (1928–1991). Journal of Natural History 27(4): 725-988

Leung, Y.-M. 1967. An illustrated key to the species of whale-lice (Amphipoda, Cyamidae), ectoparasites of Cetacea, with a guide to the literature. Crustaceana 12(3): 279-291 [fig. 4b]

Margolis, L., McDonald, T.E. & Bousfield, E.L. 2000. The Whale Lice (Amphipoda: Cyamidae) of the Northeastern Pacific region. Amphipacifica 2(4): 63-117

Martin, J.W. & Heyning, J.E. 1999. First record of Isocyamus kogiae Sedlak-Weinstein, 1992 (Crustacea, Amphipoda, Cyamidae) from the eastern Pacific, with comments on morphological characters, a key to the genera of the Cyamidae, and a checklist of cyamids and their hosts. Bulletin of the Southern California Academy of Sciences 98(1): 26-38

McCain, J.C. & Steinberg, J.E. 1970. Part 2. Amphipoda I Caprellidea I Fam. Caprellidae. pp. 1-78 in Gruner, H.-E & Holthuis, L.B. (eds). Crustaceorum Catalogus. Den Haag : Dr W. Junk N.V.

Rafinesque, C.S. 1815. Analyse de la nature, ou tableau de l'univers et des corps organises. Palermo (Italy) : Privately Published 224 pp. [Date published April to July]

Sedlak-Weinstein, E. 1991. Three new records of cyamids (Amphipoda) from Australian cetaceans. Crustaceana 60(1): 90-104

Sedlak-Weinstein, E. 1992a. A new species of Isocyamus (Amphipoda: Cyamidae) from Kogia breviceps (De Blainville, 1838) in Australian waters. Systematic Parasitology 23(1): 1-6

Sedlak-Weinstein, E. 1992b. The occurrence of a new species of Isocyamus (Crustacea, Amphipoda) from Australia and Japanese Pilot Whales, with a key to species of Isocyamus. Journal of Natural History 26: 937-946

History of changes