Family PARATANAIDAE Lang, 1949

Bathytanais juergeni

© Copyright from Larson & Wilson 1998.

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Introduction

The Paratanaidae occur at from shelf depths down to more than 1000 m depth except in the northern temperate and northern North Atlantic. About 10 species in two genera are known (Gutu & Sieg 1999). More than 20 species in four genera, Paratanais, Bathytanais, and Pseudobathytanais and Xeplenois (Larsen & Heard 2001; Bird & Larsen 2009).

The family was originally erected by Lang (1949) for all "dikonophoran" genera except Tanaididae. Later the same author (Lang 1971, 1973) excluded Agathotanaididae, Anarthruridae and Leptocheliidae. Sieg (1973 1976) moved Paratanais and Bathytanais back to Leptocheliidae and distributed the remaining genera into the Pseudotanaididae, Nototanaididae and Leptognathiidae. Sieg (1984) concluded that Paratanais and Bathytanais belong to neither Leptocheliidae nor Leptognathiidae and constitute a separate family. Larsen & Heard (2001) discussed the composition of the family, introduced a subfamily, and provided a key to species of Bathytanais and Pseudobathytanais.

Diagnosis

With eyes. Pleon with 5 pleonites. Antenna 1 4–articled, first joint thickened. Antenna 2 5– or 6–articled, articles 2 and 3 thickened. Outer lobe of labium reduced, without terminal palp. Maxilliped without coxae, not fused medially, endites expanded laterally forming broad plate. Epignath falciform. Uropods biramous, endopod 2–articled, exopod 1– or 2–articled. Marsupium formed by 4 pairs of sheet-like oostegites. Probably gonochoristic. Sexual dimorphism strongly developed. Male totally different in body shape, with enlarged pleon and large pleopods ('swimming male'). Antenna 1 with 3–articled peduncle and 3– to 6–articled flagellum. Cheliped similar to that of female. Mandibles lacking. Labium, maxilla 1, and maxilla 2 represented only by remnants. Endites and setation of maxilliped reduced.

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

Lang, K. 1949. Contribution to the systematics and synonymies of the Tanaidacea. Arkiv för Zoologi 1(42): 1-14

Lang, K. 1971. Taxonomische und phylogenetische Untersuchungen über die Tanaidaceen 6. Revision der Gattung Paranarthrura Hansen, 1913, und Aufstellung von zwei neuen Familien, vier neuen Gattungen und zwei neuen Arten. Arkiv för Zoologi 2 23: 361-401

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. & Heard, R.W. 2001. A new tanaidacean subfamily, Bathytanaidinae (Crustacea: Paratanaididae), from the Australian continental shelf and slope. Zootaxa 19: 1-22

Larsen, K. & Wilson, G.D.F. 2002. Tanaidacean phylogeny, the first step: the superfamily Paratanaidoidea. Journal of Zoological Systematics and Evolutionary Research 40: 205-222

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

History of changes