Family PARDALISCIDAE Boeck, 1871

Pardalisca cuspidata, a non-Australian species.

© Copyright from Barnard & Karaman 1991: fig. 104.

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Introduction

Pardaliscids are cosmopolitan, mainly deep-sea amphipods. Seventeen genera and about 63 species are known. Only one species is known from Australian waters, probably because so little taxonomic work has been done on the deep-water amphipods of this area. Almost nothing is known of the behaviour, ecology or life histories of the pardaliscids. Barnard & Karaman (1991) present a key to all genera.

Diagnosis

Head longer than deep or deeper than long; rostrum short, moderate or absent; eyes well developed (reniform), obsolescent or absent. Body subcylindrical; smooth. Antenna 1 shorter than, subequal to, or longer than antenna 2; peduncular article 1 shorter or longer than article 2; article 2 subequal to, or longer than article 3; article 3 shorter than article 1; primary flagellum 5- or more articulate; callynophore present or absent. Antenna 2 medium length; peduncle with many or sparse robust or slender setae; flagellum shorter or longer than peduncle; 5- or more articulate. Mandible incisor dentate or smooth; molar absent; palp present or absent. Maxilla 1 inner plate weakly setose apically. Maxilliped inner plates well developed or reduced; outer plates very large or small. Coxae 1–4 longer than broad or broader than long, overlapping. Gnathopod 1 not sexually dimorphic; subequal to gnathopod 2; simple or subchelate; coxa subequal to coxa 2; carpus shorter than, subequal to, or longer than propodus, slightly or not produced along posterior margin of propodus. Gnathopod 2 not sexually dimorphic; simple or subchelate; coxa subequal to but not hidden by coxa 3; ischium short; carpus short or long, shorter or longer than propodus, slightly or not produced along posterior margin of propodus. Pereopods some, all or none prehensile. Pereopod 3 coxa longer than broad, broader than long or as long as broad; carpus shorter or longer than propodus, not produced. Pereopod 4 coxa subequal to coxa 3, without posteroventral lobe; carpus longer than propodus, not produced. Pereopod 5 shorter than pereopod 6; coxa subequal to coxa 4, without posterior lobe; basis slightly expanded or linear, subrectangular, without posteroventral lobe; carpus linear. Pereopod 6 shorter than, subequal to, or longer than pereopod 7; basis slightly expanded or linear. Pereopod 7 subequal to, or longer than pereopod 5; basis expanded or linear. Urosomites 1–3 free; urosomite 1 longer or much longer than urosomite 2; urosomite 1 carinate, urosomites 1–2 carinate or urosomites not carinate. Uropods 1–2 apices of rami with robust setae. Uropod 3 biramous; peduncle short or long; rami lanceolate; outer ramus longer than peduncle; inner ramus apically setose or not. Telson laminar; deeply, moderately or weakly cleft or entire; longer than broad or as long as broad; dorsal robust setae absent; apical robust setae present.

General References

Barnard, J.L. & Karaman, G.S. 1991. The families and genera of marine gammaridean Amphipoda (except marine gammaroids). Records of the Australian Museum, Supplement 13: 1-866

Boeck, A. 1871. Crustacea Amphipoda Borealia et Arctica. Bulletin of the Mauritius Institute 1870: 81-280 i-viii

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