Order THERMOSBAENACEA Monod, 1927

Halosbaena tulki

© Copyright from Poore & Humphreys 1992.

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Introduction

Thermosbaenaceans are small (‹4 mm) benthic or interstitial crustaceans of fresh, anchialine and marine waters, including caves.

The order has been thought to be the only representative of a separate superorder, Pancarida (e.g. Bowman & Abele 1982) but modern interpretations tend to place the group within the Peracarida, ignoring the lack of oostegites and absence of lacinia mobilis (Dahl 1983; Watling 1983; Cals & Monod 1991). The number of species worldwide is currently about 34 species in seven genera according to the most thorough reviews of biology and systematics (Wagner 1994; Monod & Cals 1999) but there are conficting views on the family arrangement (Bowman & Iliffe 1988; Monod & Cals 1988). The order is most common in the Mediterranean and Caribbean areas with a species in Cambodia and another in Australia (Poore & Humphreys 1992).

Diagnosis

Carapace attached to first thoracomere which functions as a brood pouch in female; with 1 pair of thoracic maxillipeds; thoracopods 2–8 biramous, without epipods; pleopods reduced or absent; telson and uropods acting as tailfan.

General References

Bowman, T.E. & Abele, L.G. 1982. Classification of the Recent Crustacea. Chapter 1. pp. 1-27 in Abele, L.G. (ed.). The Biology of Crustacea. Vol. 1. Systematics, the Fossil Record, and Biogeography. New York : Academic Press.

Bowman, T.E. & Iliffe, T.M. 1988. Tulumella unidens, a new genus of thermosbaenacean crustacean from the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico. Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington 101: 221-226

Cals, P. & Monod, T. 1991. L'évolution des Thermosbénacés de Tulum à El Hama de Gabès. Cahiers de Biologie Marine 32: 173-184

Dahl, E. 1983. Malacostracan phylogeny and evolution. Crustacean Issues 1: 189-212

Monod, T. 1927. Thermosbaena mirabilis Monod, remarques sur sa position systématique. Faune Colonies Françaises 1: 29-49

Monod, T. & Cals, P. 1988. Systèmatique et évolution des Thermosbénacés (Arthropodes, Crustacés), d'après l'ordonnance des structures épidermiques superficielles. Comptes Rendus (Hebdomadaires) des Séances de l'Academie des Sciences. Série D. Sciences Naturelles 3 306: 99-108

Monod, T. & Cals, P. 1999. Ordre des thermosbaenacés (Thermosbaenacea Monod, 1927). In: Forest, J. Traité de zoologie. Anatomie, systématique, biologie … Tome 7 Crustacés Fascicule 3A Péracarides. Mémoires de l'Institut Océanographique, Monaco 19: 11-34

Poore, G.C.B. & Humphreys, W.F. 1992. First record of Thermosbaenacea (Crustacea) from the Southern Hemisphere: a new species from a cave in tropical Western Australia. Invertebrate Taxonomy 6: 719-725

Wagner, H.P. 1994. A monographic review of the Thermosbaenacea (Crustacea: Peracarida). Zoologische Verhandelingen (Leiden) 291: 1-338

Watling, L. 1983. Peracaridan disunity and its bearing on eumalacostracan phylogeny with a redefinition of eumalacostacan superorders. Crustacean Issues 1: 213-28

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