Family MAERIDAE Krapp-Schickel, 2008

Mallacoota chandaniae

© Copyright from Lowry & Springthorpe, 2005, fig. 17

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Introduction

The family Maeridae was recently established by splitting the Melitidae based mainly on the configuration of uropod 3. It is a large family (~309 species) often found among algae and seagrasses in mainly temperate and tropical regions. Lowry & Hughes (2009) pointed out the similarities between maerids and the mainly freshwater Hadziidae. Maerid amphipods are the most specious epifaunal group (about 85 known species) of shallow water amphipods in Australian waters, about 28% of the world fauna, and there are many more undescribed species currently under study by Hughes. Genera such as Ceradocus, Elasmopus, Mallacoota, Hoho and Quadrimaera are particularly species rich in Australian waters.

General References

Krapp-Schickel, T. 2008. On the genera Meximaera, Ruffomaera gen. nov., Maeropsis and Ceradocus from Atlantic coasts (Amphipoda: Melitidae). Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 88(7): 1425–1432

Lowry, J.K. & Hughes, L.E. 2009. Maeridae, the Elasmopus group. pp. 643-702 in Lowry, J.K. & Myers, A.A. (eds). Benthic Amphipoda (Crustacea: Peracarida) of the Great Barrier Reef, Australia. Zootaxa 2260: 1-930

Lowry, J.K. & Springthorpe, R.T. 2005. New and little-known melitid amphipods from Australian waters (Crustacea, Amphipoda, Melitidae). Records of the Australian Museum 57(2): 237-302

History of changes