Family UROHAUSTORIIDAE Barnard & Drummond, 1982

Urohaustorius gunni

Museums

Museum list

Regional Maps

Family UROHAUSTORIIDAE Barnard & Drummond, 1982

Introduction

The Urohaustoriidae are a small family group confined to the Southern Hemisphere and mainly to Australia. Only one species (Huarpe escofeti Barnard & Clark, 1982) among the eight genera and 20 known species occurs outside of Australian waters. Barnard & Drummond (1982) established the family and described most of the known genera and species. Most urohaustoriids occur in shallow water and species of Urohaustorius often occur in the surf zone of oceanic beaches. Dexter (1983, 1984, 1985) studied the ecology and life history of Urohaustorius metungi on surf beaches in central New South Wales and Berents (1989) studied the life history of Urohaustorius metungi on a sheltered intertidal sand flat and Warragaia rintouli from a subtidal soft bottom, both in Jervis Bay, New South Wales.
The main Australian taxonomic work (Barnard & Drummond 1982) thoroughly documents the fauna from the south-eastern part of the country, but much work remains for the rest of Australian waters. A recent key to all genera can be found in Barnard & Karaman (1991). Two new species, one in Tottungus and one in Urohaustorius were described by Kilgallen (2009).

Diagnosis

Head deeper than long; rostrum short; eyes absent. Body laterally compressed; smooth. Antenna 1 shorter than, subequal to, or longer than antenna 2; peduncle with many robust or slender setae; peduncular article 1 longer than article 2; article 2 longer than article 3; article 3 shorter than article 1; peduncular articles 2–3 geniculate or not; primary flagellum 5- or more articulate; callynophore present or absent. Antenna 2 medium length; peduncle with robust or slender setae; flagellum shorter than or as long as peduncle; 5- or more articulate; calceoli present or absent. Mandible incisor dentate; lacinia mobilis present on both sides; molar triturating or weakly triturating. Maxilla 1 inner plate weakly setose apically; palp 1- or 2-articulate. Maxilliped inner plates well developed; outer plates small. Coxae 1–4 overlapping; coxae 1–2 vestigial. Gnathopod 1 not sexually dimorphic; smaller (or weaker) than or subequal to gnathopod 2; simple; coxa larger than coxa 2; carpus subequal to, or longer than propodus. Gnathopod 2 sexually dimorphic; subchelate or parachelate; coxa smaller than and mostly hidden by coxa 3; ischium short; carpus long, subequal to, or longer than propodus. Pereopod 3 coxa expanded distally; carpus longer than propodus, not produced. Pereopod 4 coxa smaller than coxa 3, without posteroventral lobe; carpus longer than propodus, not produced. Pereopods 5–7 with many rows of facial and marginal robust setae. Pereopod 5 shorter than pereopod 6; coxa smaller than coxa 4, without posterior lobe; basis expanded, with or without posteroventral lobe; carpus expanded. Pereopod 6 subequal to pereopod 7; basis expanded. Pereopod 7 longer than pereopod 5; basis expanded. Epimeron 1 poorly developed. Epimeron 2 setose. Urosomite 1 subequal to, or longer than urosomite 2. Uropods 1–2 apices of rami without robust setae. Uropod 1 peduncle with long plumose setae. Uropod 3 biramous; peduncle short; rami linguiform; outer ramus longer than peduncle; inner ramus apically setose. Telson laminar; deeply, moderately or weakly cleft, emarginate or entire; broader than long; dorsal and apical robust setae absent.