Amphipoda: Families and Subfamilies

J.K. Lowry & R.T. Springthorpe

Hadziidae S. Karaman, 1943

Description. Head free, not coalesced with peraeonite 1; exposed; as long as deep, or longer than deep; anteroventral margin weakly recessed or rounded or straight or oblique, anteroventral margin shallowly excavate or not excavate, anteroventral corner rounded or subquadrate or absent; rostrum absent; eyes absent. Body laterally compressed, or subcylindrical; cuticle smooth.

Antenna 1 longer than antenna 2; peduncle with sparse robust and slender setae; 3-articulate; peduncular article 1 subequal to article 2, or longer than article 2; antenna 1 article 2 longer than article 3; peduncular articles 1-2 not geniculate; accessory flagellum present, or absent; antenna 1 callynophore absent. Antenna 2 present; short; articles not folded in zigzag fashion; without hook-like process; flagellum shorter than peduncle; less than 5-articulate; not clavate; calceoli absent.

Mouthparts well developed. Mandible incisor dentate; lacinia mobilis present on both sides; accessory setal row without distal tuft; molar present, medium, triturative; palp present. Maxilla 1 present; inner plate present, strongly setose along medial margin; palp present, not clavate, 2 -articulate. Maxilla 2 inner plate present; outer plate present. Maxilliped inner and outer plates well developed or reduced, palps present, well developed or reduced; inner plates well developed, separate; outer plates present, large or small; palp 4-articulate, article 3 without rugosities. Labium smooth.

Peraeon. Peraeonites 1-7 separate; complete; sternal gills absent; pleurae absent.

Coxae 1-7 well developed, none fused with peraeonites. Coxae 1-4 longer than broad or broader than long, overlapping, coxae not acuminate. Coxae 1-3 not successively smaller, none vestigial. Coxae 2-4 none immensely broadened.

Gnathopod 1 not sexually dimorphic; smaller (or weaker) than gnathopod 2; subequal to coxa 2; gnathopod 1 merus and carpus not rotated; gnathopod 1 carpus/propodus not cantilevered; subequal to propodus, or longer than propodus; gnathopod 1 not produced along posterior margin of propodus; dactylus large. Gnathopod 2 sexually dimorphic; subchelate; coxa subequal to but not hidden by coxa 3; ischium short; merus not fused along posterior margin of carpus or produced away from it; carpus/propodus not cantilevered, carpus short, shorter than propodus, slightly produced along posterior margin of propodus or not produced along posterior margin of propodus.

Peraeopods heteropodous (3-4 directed posteriorly, 5-7 directed anteriorly), none prehensile. Peraeopod 3 well developed. Peraeopod 4 well developed. 3-4 not glandular; 3-7 without hooded dactyli, 3-7 propodi without distal spurs. Coxa well developed, longer than broad or expanded distally; carpus subequal to propodus, not produced; dactylus well developed. Coxa subequal to coxa 3 or larger than coxa 3, not acuminate, with well developed posteroventral lobe; carpus not produced. Peraeopods 5-7 with few robust or slender setae; some or all dactyli with slender or robust setae. Peraeopod 5 well developed; shorter than peraeopod 6; coxa smaller than coxa 4, with posterodorsal lobe; basis expanded or slightly expanded, with posteroventral lobe; merus/carpus free; carpus linear; setae present along margin or setae absent or with a few subterminal setae. Peraeopod 6 subequal in length to peraeopod 7; merus/carpus free; dactylus with setae along margin, or without setae, or with a few subterminal setae. Peraeopod 7 with 6-7 well developed articles; longer than peraeopod 5; similar in structure to peraeopod 6; with 7 articles; basis expanded, without dense slender setae; dactylus with setae along margin or without setae or with a few subterminal setae.

Pleon. Pleonites 1-3 with transverse dorsal serrations or without transverse dorsal serrations, without dorsal carina; with slender or robust dorsal setae, or without slender or robust dorsal setae. Epimera 1-3 present. Epimeron 1 well developed. Epimeron 2 without setae.

Urosome not dorsoventrally flattened; urosomites 1 to 3 free; urosomite 1 longer than urosomite 2; urosome urosomites not carinate; urosomites 1-2 without transverse dorsal serrations. Uropods 1-2 apices of rami with robust setae. Uropods 1-3 radically dissimilar in structure and size, or similar in structure and size. Uropod 1 peduncle without long plumose setae, with 1 or 2 basofacial robust setae, without ventromedial spur. Uropod 2 well developed; without ventromedial spur, without dorsal flange; inner ramus subequal to outer ramus, or longer than outer ramus. Uropod 3 not sexually dimorphic; peduncle short; outer ramus longer than peduncle, 1-articulate or 2-articulate, without recurved spines. Telson laminar; deeply cleft; longer than broad, or as long as broad; apical robust setae present.

Habitat. freshwater or anchialine or stygobiont or marine.

Habitat. benthic.

Remarks. Separating the families Hadziidae and Melitidae is an unsolved problem. But Liagoceradocus, which occurs in anchialine caves in north-western Australia is a well known hadziid genus.


Cite this publication as: 'J.K. Lowry & R.T. Springthorpe (2001 onwards). Amphipoda: Families and Subfamilies. Version 1: 1 September 2001. https://crustacea.net/'. Dallwitz (1980) and Dallwitz, Paine and Zurcher (1993, 1995, 2000) should also be cited (see References).

Index