Family PARANTHURIDAE Menzies & Glynn, 1968

Paranthura caesia

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Family PARANTHURIDAE Menzies & Glynn, 1968

Introduction

The Paranthuridae are a widespread marine and estuarine family. Wägele (1981) discussed the anatomy and systematics of the family as part of his study of the Anthuridea but his concept of the family is not used here. Poore (1980, 1984, 2001) provided keys to paranthurid genera (in whole and in part) and a list of species. Five of the seven genera lack pereopod 7 as adults, a neotenous character retained from the manca stage.

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 rudimentary (fewer than 5 fused articles), shorter than last article of peduncle. Mouthparts acutely produced anteriorly. Mandible with acute anteriorly-directed incisor (often secondarily blunt). Maxillipedal endite absent or obsolete; palp narrow, tapering to acute apex, of fewer than 4 articles (c. three times as long as wide), with 2 or more articles fused. Pereopod 1 palm defined proximally by angle distant from palm of carpus; marginal setal row irregular if present, 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. Statocysts absent.