Family STYGOCARIDIDAE Noodt, 1963

Stygocaris townsendi, a New Zealand species [from Morimoto 1977]

© Copyright from Morimoto 1977.

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• STYGOCARIDIDAE Noodt, 1963.

  Type genus:

   Stygocaris Noodt, 1963.

Introduction

The Stygocarididae is the only family of Anaspidacea with representatives outside Australia. Species of Stygocaris occur in New Zealand and Chile whereas three other genera inhabit New Zealand or South America (Noodt 1970, Lopretto & Morrone 1998). The diagnosis is abbreviated from Schminke (1982).

Diagnosis

Rostrum broad, with seta on each side. Thoracomeres relatively short compared to pleonites; pleonite 6 without row of long spines along posterior margin. Eyes absent. Antenna 2 without exopod. Mandible without palp. Maxilla 1 without palp. Thoracopod 1 7-articled, forming a maxilliped, without exopod, without epipod. Thoracopods 2-6 with exopod; thoracopods 7-8 without exopod. Pleopods absent; except in male where pleopods 1-2 interact as a petasma. Uropods with 1-articled rami. Telson truncated cone, not forming tailfan with uropods.

General References

Lopretto, E.C. & Morrone, J.J. 1998. Anaspidacea, Bathynellacea (Crustacea, Syncarida), generalised tracks, and the biogeographical relationships of South America. Zoologica Scripta 27: 311-318

Noodt, W. 1963. Estudios sobre crustaceos de aguas subterraneas. III. - Crustacea Syncarida de Chile central. Investigaciones Zoologicas Chilenas 10: 151-167

Noodt, W. 1970. Zur Eidonomie der Stygocaridacea, einer Gruppe interstitieller Syncarida (Malacostraca). Crustaceana 19: 227-244

Schminke, H.K. 1982. Syncarida. pp. 233-237 in Parker, S.P. (ed.). Synopsis and classification of living organisms. New York : McGraw-Hill Vol. 2.

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