Suborder TANAIDOMORPHA Sieg, 1980

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Introduction

The majority of known Tanaidacea, more than 365 species, belong to this suborder and are gouped in the following families: Tanaidae, Agathotanaidae, Colletteidae, Pseudozeuxidae, Leptocheliidae, Leptognathiidae, Mirandotanaidae, Nototanaidae, Paratanaidae, Typhlotanaidae, Pseudotanaidae, Tanaellidae, Tanaissuidae, Teleotanaidae and Anarthruridae (Sieg 1980, 1986; Gutu & Sieg 1999; Larsen & Wilson 2002; Bird & Larsen 2009). Of those families listed above, all except Anarthruridae, Pseudozeuxidae, Tanaissuidae and Typhlotanaidae are represented in Australian waters or on the shelf of the subantarctic islands.

Diagnosis

With or without eyes. Body cylindrical in cross-section. Pereonites never with spine- or peak-like processess laterally. Pleon typically formed by 5 pleonites and small pleotelson (only Tanaidae with as few as 3 pleonites). Antenna 1 uniramous, 3–articled peduncle with or without short (1– or 2–articled) flagellum. Antenna 2 6– to 8–articled, without squama. Mandibles without palp, of dicondyle type. Maxilla 1 with 1 endite, with 1–articled palp. Maxilla 2 reduced, represented by an oval lobe. Labium typically without distal palp. Epignath kidney-shaped or falciform. Cheliped without coxa. Coxae of pereopods articulated ventrally with pereonites, not visible dorsally. Pereopods always ambulatory, never transformed. Pleopods present or absent, exopod and endopod always 1–articled. Uropods typically biramous, but in many lineages uniramous (exopod reduced). Marsupium typically formed by 4 pairs of sheet-like oostegites, except Pseudotanaidae and Tanaidae with 1 pair. In the latter the single pair of oostegites is transformed to a brood sack ('ovisac'). Gonochoristic, protogynous hermaphrodites or possibly parthenogenetic. Sexual dimorphism expressed in various degrees, affecting body shape, antenna 1, cheliped, and mouthparts which may be totally reduced.

General References

Bird, G.J. & Larsen, K. 2009. Tanaidacean phylogeny – the second step: the basal paratanaoidean families (Crustacea: Malacostraca). Arthropod Systematics and Phylogeny 67: 137-158

Edgar, G.J. 2008. Shallow water Tanaidae (Crustacea: Tanaidacea) of Australia. Zootaxa 1836: 1-92

Gutu, M. & Sieg, J. 1999. Ordre des tanaïdacés (Tanaidacea Hansen, 1895). pp. 353-389 in Forest, J. Traité de Zoologie. Anatomie, systématique, biologie … Tome 7 Crustacés. Fascicule 3A Péracarides. Mémoires de l'Institut Océanographique, Monaco 19: 1-450

Larsen, K. 2005. Deep-Sea Tanaidacea (Peracarida) from the Gulf of Mexico. Leiden : Brill 381 pp.

Larsen, K. & Wilson, G.D.F. 2002. Tanaidacean phylogeny, the first step: the superfamily Paratanaidoidea. Journal of Zoological Systematics and Evolutionary Research 40: 205-222

Sieg, J. 1980. Sind die Dikonophora eine Polyphyletische gruppe? Are the Dikonophora a polyphyletic group? Zoologischer Anzeiger 205: 401-416

Sieg, J. 1986. Crustacea Tanaidacea of the Antarctic and Subantarctic 1. On material collected at Tierra del Fuego, Isla de los Estados, and the West Coast of the Antarctic Peninsula. Antarctic Research Series 45: 1-180

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