Order SIPHONOPHORIDA Hoffman, 1980

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Introduction

Siphonophorida resemble Polyzoniida in body cross-section (convex above, flat beneath), anteriorly pointed head, reduced mouthparts and short, stout antennae. Unlike Polyzoniida, Siphonophorida lack ocelli, and the head in Australian species in the family Siphonophoridae is drawn out into a sharply pointed 'beak' (Hoffman 1982). The siphonophoridan Illacme plenipes Cook & Loomis 1928, holds the current record for most legs in an extant arthropod (750) and the most legs and segments (192) in a millipede (Shelley 1996). The order was recently catalogued by Jeekel (2001).

General References

Hoffman, R.L. 1982. Diplopoda. pp. 689-724 in Parker, S.P. (ed.). Synopsis and Classification of Living Organisms. Vol. 2. New York : McGraw-Hill.

Jeekel, C.A.W. 2001. A bibliographic catalogue of the Siphonophorida (Diplopoda). Myriapod Memoranda 3: 44-71

Shelley, R.M. 1996. The milliped order Siphonophorida in the United States and northern Mexico. Myriapodologica 4(4): 21-33

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