Family PARAPHRONIMIDAE Bovallius, 1887

Paraphronima gracilis

© Copyright from Zeidler 1992: fig. 10.

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Introduction

The Paraphronimidae are a small monotypic family with only two species. Both species have widespread tropical and temperate distributions and both are well known from the Indo-Pacific region. Répelin (1978) and Zeidler (1992) reported both species from the western Pacific Ocean, and Tranter (1977) reported them from the eastern Indian Ocean off the North West Shelf. Species of Paraphronima have been reported in association with siphonophores (Laval 1980). Distinguishing characters for the species are given in Zeidler (1992).

Diagnosis

Head as long as deep; anteroventral margin rounded; rostrum absent; eyes occupying most of lateral surface of head. Body dorsoventrally flattened. Antenna 1 shorter or longer than antenna 2; peduncular article 1 longer than article 2; article 2 longer than article 3; calceoli absent. Mandible molar absent; palp absent. Maxilla 1 inner plate present; palp 1-articulate. Maxilla 2 inner plate absent. Coxae 1–7 vestigial or absent, fused with pereonites. Gnathopod 1 simple; carpus longer than propodus; dactylus minute. Gnathopod 2 dactylus minute. Pereopod 3 carpus subequal to propodus. Pereopod 5 longer than pereopod 6; basis without posteroventral lobe; carpus linear. Pereopod 6 longer than pereopod 7; basis linear. Pereopod 7 basis linear. Uropod 2 inner ramus longer than outer ramus. Uropod 3 not sexually dimorphic; biramous.

General References

Bovallius, C. 1887. Systematical list of the Amphipoda Hyperiidea. Bihang till Kungliga Svenska Vetenskaps-Akademiens Handlingar 11(16): 1-50

Laval, P. 1980. Hyperiid amphipods as crustacean parasitoids associated with gelatinous zooplankton. Oceanography and Marine Biology Annual Reviews 18: 11-56

Répelin, R. 1978. Les amphipodes pélagiques du Pacifique occidental et central. Travaux et Documents de l'ORSTOM, Paris 86: 1-381

Tranter, H.A. 1977. Further studies of plankton ecosystems in the Eastern Indian Ocean. VII. Ecology of the Amphipoda. Australian Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research 28: 645-662

Zeidler, W. 1992. Hyperiid amphipods (Crustacea: Amphipoda: Hyperiidea) collected recently from eastern Australian waters. Records of the Australian Museum 44(1): 85-133

Zeidler, W. 1998. Pelagic amphipods (Crustacea: Amphipoda: Hyperiidea) collected from eastern and south-eastern Australian waters by the CSIRO vessel "Warreen" during the years 1938–1941. Records of the South Australian Museum (Adelaide) Monograph Series 4: 1-143

Zeidler, W. 2003. A review of the hyperiidean amphipod superfamily Vibilioidea Bowman & Gruner, 1973 (Crustacea: Amphipoda: Hyperiidea). Zootaxa 280: 1-104 [86]

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