Family PARAMUNNIDAE Vanhöffen, 1914

Abyssianira bathyalis

© Copyright from Just 1990.

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Introduction

Wilson's (1980) review is valuable, but he incorrectly referred to the family as Pleurogoniidae. The family concept was revised by Just (1990). Just & Wilson (2004, 2006, 2007) revised several paramunnid genera, and Just (2009a, b) described two new monotypic genera. Just & Wilson (2021) recorded an additional two genera from Australian waters and reported a third, Boreosignum, from Jervis Bay, NSW, but were unable to assign a specific name to the specimen. There are 13 genera known from Australia with 40 species described. The diagnosis is adapted from Wilson (1980).

Diagnosis

Body broad, ovate, often with laterally projecting tergal and epimeral plates. Pleonite 1 free from remaining pleotelson. Head recessed into pereonite 1; eyes, if present, on lateral projections. Antenna 1 with at least 6 articles, with terminal aesthetasc. Antenna 2 shorter than body, reflexed laterally between peduncular articles 4 and 5; scale present or absent. Mandibular palp absent short or absent. Pereopod 1 prehensile, pereopods 2–7 ambulatory. Male pleopod 1 sagittate. Penes entering sperm duct internally. Uropod tiny, biramous or uniramous, peduncle usually absent. Anus covered by pleopods.

General References

Just, J. 1990. Abyssianiridae, a synonym of Paramunnidae (Crustacea: Isopoda: Asellota) with two new species of Abyssianira from south-eastern Australia. Memoirs of Museum Victoria 50: 403-416

Just, J. 2009a. Compoceration garyi, a new genus and species of Paramunnidae (Crustacea, Isopoda, Asellota), from south-eastern Australia. Memoirs of Museum Victoria 66: 81-84

Just, J. 2009b. Pentaceration, an unusual new genus of Paramunnidae from Australia (Isopoda, Asellota). Zootaxa 2134: 36-48

Just, J. & Wilson, G.D.F. 2004. Revision of the Paramunna complex (Isopoda : Asellota : Paramunnidae). Invertebrate Systematics 18: 377-466

Just, J. & Wilson, G.D.F. 2006. Revision of Southern Hemisphere Austonanus Hodgson, 1910, with two new genera and five new species of Paramunnidae (Crustacea: Isopoda: Asellota). Zootaxa 1111: 21-58

Just, J. & Wilson, G.D.F. 2007. Revision of Austrosignum Hodgson and Munnogonium George & Strömberg (Paramunnidae) with descriptions of eight new genera and two new species, (Crustacea: Isopoda: Asellota). Zootaxa 1515: 1-29

Just, J. & Wilson, G.D.F. 2021. Redescriptions and new species in the ‘Austrosignum–Munnogonium’ complex sensu Just & Wilson (2007), mainly from the Southern Hemisphere (Crustacea: Isopoda: Paramunnidae). Zootaxa 4952(3): 401–447 [Date published 12/04/2021]

Vanhöffen, E. 1914. Die Isopoden der Deutschen Südpolar-Expedition 1901–1903. Deutsche Südpolar Expedition 1901–1903 15: 449-598

Wilson, G.D.F. 1980. New insights into the colonization of the deep-sea: systematics and zoogeography of the Munnidae and the Pleurogoniidae comb. nov. (Isopoda: Janiroidea). Journal of Natural History 14: 215-236

History of changes