Family LEPTOCHELIIDAE Lang, 1973

Undescribed species figured as Paratanais ignotus

© Copyright from Hale 1929.

Museums

Regional Maps

• Bamber, R.N. 2013. A re-assessment of Konarus Bamber, 2006 and sympatric leptocheliids from Australasia, and of Pseudoleptochelia Lang, 1973 (Crustacea: Peracarida: Tanaidacea). Zootaxa 3694(1): 1-39 (introduces subfamilies)

Introduction

The family is worldwide at shelf depths only. Over 40 species in 12 genera are known. The family was erected by Lang (1973) but considered synonymous with Paratanaidae by Sieg (1973, 1976, 1983). The same author (Sieg 1984) re-established the family by giving a much more restricted definition of the Paratanaidae.

The species 'Leptochelia ignotus' has been widely reported following Hale (1929) but many species may be involved, probably not in this genus (see Incertae sedis).

Specimens in the QM thought to represent the genus Pseudoleptochelia Lang, 1973 have been found in Queensland, but have not been identified to species level.

Diagnosis

With eyes. Pleon with 5 pleonites. Palp of maxilla 1 with 2 distal setae. Labium consisting of inner and outer lobe, without terminal palp. Maxilliped unfused, without coxae. Epignath falciform. Pereopods ambulatory. Dactylus and terminal spine of pereopods 4–6 fused to a slender claw. Uropods biramous, endopod with more than 2 articles. Marsupium formed by 4 pairs of sheet-like oostegites. Protogynous hermaphrodites with up to 4 different types of males (1 primary and 3 secondary). Sexual dimorphism well developed. Males differ slightly in body shape but extremely in antenna 1 (3–articled peduncle with multiarticled flagellum bearing many aesthetascs) and cheliped (in several cases it is extraordinary enlarged or thickened).

General References

Bird, G.J. & Larsen, K. 2009. Tanaidacean phylogeny – the second step: the basal paratanaoidean families (Crustacea: Malacostraca). Arthropod Systematics and Phylogeny 67: 137-158

Gutu, M. & Sieg, J. 1999. Ordre des tanaïdacés (Tanaidacea Hansen, 1895). pp. 353-389 in Forest, J. Traité de Zoologie. Anatomie, systématique, biologie … Tome 7 Crustacés. Fascicule 3A Péracarides. Mémoires de l'Institut Océanographique, Monaco 19: 1-450

Hale, H.M. 1929. The Crustaceans of South Australia. Adelaide : Government Printer Vol. 2 201-380 pp.

Lang, K. 1973. Taxonomische und phylogenetische 8. Die Gattungen Leptochelia Dana, Paratanais Dana, Heterotanais G.O. Sars und Nototanais Richardson. Dazu einige Bemerkungen über die Monokonophora und ein Nachtrag. Zoologica Scripta 2: 197-229

Larsen, K. 2005. Deep-Sea Tanaidacea (Peracarida) from the Gulf of Mexico. Leiden : Brill 381 pp.

Sieg, J. 1973. Ein Beitrag zum Natürlichen System der Dikonophora Lang. (Textteil, Tafelteil). PhD thesis. Kiel : University of Kiel 298 pp.

Sieg, J. 1976. Zum natürlichen System der Tanaidacea Lang (Crustacea, Tanaidacea). Zeitschrift für Zoologische Systematik und Evolutionsforschung 14: 177-198

Sieg, J. 1983. Crustaceorum Catalogus editus a H.-E. Gruner & L.B. Holthuis Pars 6. Tanaidacea. The Hague : Dr W. Junk 552 pp.

Sieg, J. 1984. Neuere Erkenntnisse zum natürlichen System der Tanaidacea. Eine phylogenetische Studie. Zoologica (Stuttgart) 136: 1-132

History of changes