Family HYPSIMETOPODIDAE Nicholls, 1943

Pilbarophreatoicus platyarthricus

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Family HYPSIMETOPODIDAE Nicholls, 1943

Introduction

Members of this family are subterranean or at least surface burrowers. They occur in Western Australia, Victoria, Tasmania and notably India (Banarescu 1990). The Indian genus Nichollsia Chopra & Tiwari, 1950 is somewhat abberrant in the adult male form, but the juveniles and females are similar to Pilbarophreatoicus Knott & Halse 1999 (compare Gupta 1989 and Knott & Halse 1999), and indeed appear in cladograms near this new genus (Wilson & Johnson 1999; Wilson & Keable 2001). The diagnosis has been written for Australian taxa only.

Diagnosis

Generally elongate, colourless phreatoicideans. Head lacking eyes or mandibular (genal) groove. Pereon narrow, width close to head width. Typhlosole absent, gut round in cross section. Pleonites depth in lateral view equal to depth of pereonites, with at most small ventrolateral plates (pleurae), basal region of pleopods visible; pleonite 1 pleura subequal to depth of pleonites 2-5 pleurae. Pleotelson lateral length greater than depth; telsonic medial region broadly indented, not reflexed, lateral lobes absent. Pereopods 2-3 or 2-4 propodus articular plate either absent or tiny. Pereopods 5-7 propodus lacking articular plate; basis dorsal ridge present but only angular, never plate-like. Pleopod exopods 2-5 proximal article distolateral lobes subequal or longer than distal article, endopods 1-5 without marginal setae. Pleopodal protopods without lateral epipods. Male pleopod 2 endopod appendix masculina distal tip pointed and spine-like, or at least acutely rounded. Uropodal protopod ventral ridge lacking long simple setae projecting laterally; rami distal tips pointed, endopod usually lacking robust setaeor spurs on dorsal margin.