Family PLATYSCELIDAE Spence Bate, 1862

Platyscelus armatus

© Copyright from Zeidler 1992: fig. 24.

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Regional Maps

Introduction

Platyscelidae are a small family of five genera, all of which have been recorded in Australian waters. Members of the family are widely distributed in tropical and warm temperate seas. According to Zeidler (1998) platyscelids are usually found rolled into a ball.

Diagnosis

Head deeper than long; anteroventral margin rounded; eyes occupying most of lateral surface of head. Body conglobate. Antenna 1 shorter or longer than antenna 2; peduncle 1- or 2-articulate; peduncular article 1 longer than article 2; calceoli absent. Mouthparts well developed. Mandible molar absent; palp present or absent. Maxilla 1 inner plate absent; palp absent. Gnathopod 1 simple, carpochelate or subchelate; carpus shorter than, subequal to, or longer than propodus; dactylus minute. Gnathopod 2 dactylus minute. Pereopods some, all or none prehensile. Pereopod 3 carpus subequal to, or longer than propodus. Pereopod 5 shorter than pereopod 6; basis without posteroventral lobe; carpus linear. Pereopod 6 longer than pereopod 7; basis expanded. Pereopod 7 with coxa and basis plus one or more rudimentary articles; basis expanded. Urosomite 3 fused with telson. Uropod 2 inner ramus longer than outer ramus. Uropod 3 not sexually dimorphic; biramous or uniramous.

General References

Spence Bate, C. 1862. Catalogue of the Specimens of Amphipodous Crustacea in the Collection of the British Museum. London : British Museum 399 pp. 58 pls.

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

History of changes