Family TRIDENTELLIDAE Bruce, 1984

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Introduction

Some tridentellids are probable fish ectobionts although they are taken free-living. The family is known in the Pacific and Atlantic from about 16 species in one genus. The Tridentellidae are most similar to the Corallanidae and Aegidae which are also ectobionts on fish (Bruce 1984, 1988).

Diagnosis

Dorsum arched, often sculptured. Eyes lateral. Pleonites 1-5 free. Frontal lamina present; clypeus wide, largely encompassing the labrum. Mandible incisor acute, lacina mobilis absent, molar present; palp 3-articled. Maxilla 1 outer ramus styliform, apex with 3 to 5 stout broad-based robust setae, medial margin with 6 to 10 strongly recurved spines. Maxilla 2 densely covered with tridentate scale-like robust setae. Maxilliped with 5-articled palp; endite elongate, lamellar, usually without coupling hooks. Pereopods all ambulatory, although dactyli of pereopods 1-3 stout and recurved. Pleopods all lamellar, biramous; only endopod of pleopod 5 naked; appendix masculina attached basally. Uropods situated at anterolateral margin of pleotelson, both rami mobile. The diagnosis follows that of Bruce (1984).

General References

Bruce, N.L. 1984. A new family for the isopod crustacean genus Tridentella Richardson, 1905 with description of a new species from Fiji. Journal of the Linnean Society of London, Zoology 80: 447-455

Bruce, N.L. 1988. Two new species of Tridentella (Crustacea, Isopoda, Tridentellidae) from New Zealand. Records of the National Museum of New Zealand 3: 71-79

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