Family LEPTANTHURIDAE Poore, 2001

Accalathura themeda

© Copyright from Poore & Lew Ton 1990.

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Introduction

The family includes 12 valid genera all previously included in Paranthuridae. All have a single statocyst (Poore 2001). Wägele (1985) observed that the Antarctic species Accalathura gigantissima Kussakin fed on amphipods by sucking body fluids through their pointed mouthpoints.

Diagnosis

Body 10–15 times as long as wide, non-males rarely more elongate (pereonite 7 wider than long, much shorter than pereonite 6). Pleonites 1–5 together not more than twice as long as wide, free and articulating or fused; without marginal plumose setae on pleonal epimera or posterior borders of pleonites 4 and 5. Antenna 2 flagellum of fewer than 10 articles, shorter than peduncle, or of numerous articles, longer than or shorter than peduncle. Mouthparts acutely produced anteriorly. Mandible with acute anteriorly-directed incisor. Maxillipedal endite reaching palp article 3, or absent or obsolete; palp narrow, tapering to acute apex, of fewer than 4 articles (c. three times as long as wide), with 5 free articles (rarely) or with 2 or more articles fused. Pereopod 1 palm without proximal tooth (palm more or less continuous with that of carpus), or defined proximally by angle distant from palm of carpus, or with proximal tooth (defined by definite angle to palm); with even marginal row of short complex robust setae along length, or with even marginal row of closely-set simple robust setae. Pereopods 2 and 3 carpus not or weakly produced posterodistally; propodus with more than 1 robust setae in addition to posterodistal robust seta. Pereopods 4–7 propodus with more than 1 robust setae in addition to posterodistal robust seta. Pereopod 7 propodus without anterodistal serrate setae. Pleopods: pleopod 1 exopod operculiform alone. Statocyst single.

General References

Poore, G.C.B. 2001. Families and genera of Isopoda Anthuridea. Crustacean Issues 13: 63-173

Wägele, J.W. 1985. Observations on nutrition and ultrastructure of digestive tract and fat body of the giant paranthurid Accalathura gigantissima Kussakin. Polar Biology 4: 33-43

History of changes