Family PROTOSQUILLIDAE Manning, 1980

Museums

Regional Maps

• Protosquillidae Manning, R.B. 1980. The superfamilies, families, and genera of recent stomatopod Crustacea, with diagnoses of six new families. Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington 93(2): 362-372 [366, 369].

  Type genus:

   Protosquilla Brooks, 1886.

Introduction

This family comprises five genera of 'smashers', four of which, Chorisquilla, Echinosquilla, Haptosquilla and Siamosquilla, have been recorded from Australia. Protosquillids occupy pre-formed cavities in coral and rocky reefs, from which they snatch passing prey items. Ahyong (2001) provided keys for identification.

Diagnosis

Cornea with six rows of rectangular ommatidia in the midband. Protopod of antenna with fixed anteriorly directed spine dorsally. Third and fourth maxillipeds with propodi ovate, not ribbed or beaded ventrally; body subcylindrical, articulation compact. Raptorial claw with ischiomeral articulation subterminal; dactylus without teeth on inner margin, strongly inflated basally. Sixth abdominal somite fused with telson. Telson with distinct median boss, lacking distinct carina; submedian teeth with movable apices. Uropodal protopod with two primary spines; articulation of exopod segments terminal; distal spines on outer margin of uropodal exopod slender, straight or slightly curved, not strongly recurved anteriorly.

General References

Ahyong, S.T. 2001. Revision of the Australian Stomatopod Crustacea. Records of the Australian Museum Suppl. 26: 1-326

History of changes