Family SEROLIDAE Dana, 1852

Acutiserolis cidaris

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Family SEROLIDAE Dana, 1852

Compiler and date details

Gary C.B. Poore & Helen M. Lew Ton

Introduction

Serolids are widespread in bays, on the shelf and in the deep sea especially in the Southern Hemisphere. Most of the ~90 species known were described in the genus Serolis Leach, but recent revisions placed all the Australian species in other genera (Poore 1987; Brandt 1988; Poore & Storey 2009). Keys to Australian species have been provided by Harrison & Poore (1984) and Poore (1987). The Australian fauna comprises many more species than are presently described with several species known from tropical shelves.

Diagnosis

Body markedly dorsoventrally flattened; coxal plates laterally expanded. Pereonite 1 fused with head in midline and enclosing head laterally. Pereonite 7 absent dorsally, or present only as short lateral plates. Pleon with 3 visible tergites; at least the first narrow, not reaching the lateral margins of the body. Mandible with 3–articled palp, lacking molar process. Maxilliped broad, with short palp. Pereopod 1 of both sexes subchelate with dilated ovate propodus bearing posterior rows of setae. Pereopods 2–7 (female), or 3–7 (male) ambulatory. Pleonal sternites 1–3 each with a small subrectangular plate in midline. Exopod of pleopod 4 indurate, operculate, covering endopod and pleopod 5 which are respiratory. Uropods usually biramous (occasionally uniramous). Adult male: Pereopod 2 subchelate, smaller than pereopod 1. Pereopod 7 may bear a reflexed dactylus. Penes absent. Ovigerous female: Maxillipedal endite may be expanded; other mouthparts not metamorphosed. Brood pouch formed from four pairs of brood plates, arising from pereopods 1–4 and overlapping well in the midline. Diagnosis emended from Harrison & Poore (1984).