Family STILIPEDIDAE Holmes, 1908

Alexandrella dentata, non-Australian species.

© Copyright from Barnard & Karaman 1991: fig. 127.

Museums

Regional Maps

Introduction

The Stilipedidae are a small family of five genera and 16 species thought to be closely related to the Iphimediidae (Barnard & Karaman 1991). Holman & Watling (1983) divided the group into three subfamilies: Astyrinae, Alexandrellinae and Stilipedinae. They live in cold water from moderate depths on continental shelves to the deepest trenches. Nothing is known about their biology or ecology. A key to genera is found in Barnard & Karaman (1991).

Diagnosis

Head longer than deep or deeper than long; rostrum short; eyes well developed (round), obsolescent or absent. Body laterally compressed; smooth or processiferous and dorsally carinate. Antenna 1 shorter than antenna 2; peduncular article 1 longer than article 2; article 2 longer than article 3; article 3 shorter than article 1; accessory flagellum present or absent; primary flagellum 5- or more articulate; callynophore present or absent. Antenna 2 medium length; flagellum longer than peduncle; 5- or more articulate. Mandible incisor dentate or smooth; molar absent. Maxilla 1 inner plate weakly setose apically. Maxilliped inner plates well developed; outer plates very large or large. Coxae 1–4 longer than broad, overlapping; coxae 1–3 ventrally acuminate. Gnathopod 1 not sexually dimorphic; subequal to gnathopod 2; simple or subchelate; coxa larger than coxa 2; carpus longer than propodus. Gnathopod 2 not sexually dimorphic; simple or subchelate; coxa larger than coxa 3; ischium short; carpus long, longer than propodus. Pereopod 3 coxa longer than broad; carpus shorter than propodus, not produced. Pereopod 4 coxa larger than coxa 3, acuminate ventrally, with well developed posteroventral lobe; carpus shorter than propodus, not produced. Pereopod 5 shorter than pereopod 6; coxa smaller than coxa 4, with ventrally produced posterior lobe or without posterior lobe; basis slightly expanded, subrectangular, without posteroventral lobe; carpus linear. Pereopod 6 shorter than or subequal to pereopod 7; basis slightly expanded. Pereopod 7 longer than pereopod 5; basis expanded. Urosomite 1 longer or much longer than urosomite 2; urosomite 1 carinate or urosomites not carinate. Uropods 1–2 apices of rami without robust setae. Uropod 3 biramous; peduncle short; rami lanceolate; outer ramus longer than peduncle; inner ramus not apically setose. Telson laminar; moderately cleft or emarginate; longer than broad; dorsal and apical robust setae absent.

General References

Barnard, J.L. & Karaman, G.S. 1991. The families and genera of marine gammaridean Amphipoda (except marine gammaroids). Records of the Australian Museum, Supplement 13: 1-866

Holman, H. & Watling, L. 1983. A revision of the Stilipedidae (Amphipoda). Crustaceana 44(1): 27-53

Holmes, S.J. 1908. The Amphipoda collected by the U.S. Bureau of Fisheries Steamer "Albatross" off the west coast of North America, in 1903 and 1904, with descriptions of a new family and several new genera and species. Proceedings of the United States National Museum 35(1654): 489-543

History of changes