Amphipoda: Families and Subfamilies

J.K. Lowry & R.T. Springthorpe

Ischyroceridae Stebbing, 1899

Description. Head free, not coalesced with peraeonite 1; exposed; as long as deep, or longer than deep, or deeper than long; anteroventral margin moderately recessed or strongly recessed, anteroventral margin deeply excavate or shallowly excavate; rostrum present or absent, short or moderate or long; eyes present, well developed or obsolescent, or absent; not coalesced; 1 pair; not bulging. Body cylindrical, or subcylindrical, or laterally compressed; cuticle smooth.

Antenna 1 shorter than antenna 2, or subequal to antenna 2, or longer than antenna 2; peduncle with sparse robust and slender setae; 3-articulate; peduncular article 1 shorter than article 2, or subequal to article 2, or longer than article 2; antenna 1 article 2 shorter than article 3, or subequal to article 3, or longer than article 3; peduncular articles 1-2 not geniculate; accessory flagellum present, or absent; antenna 1 callynophore absent. Antenna 2 present; short, or medium length, or long; articles not folded in zigzag fashion; without hook-like process; flagellum shorter than peduncle, or as long as peduncle, or longer than peduncle; 5 or more articulate, or 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, weakly setose apically or without setae; 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 as long as broad or broader than long, overlapping or discontiguous, coxae not acuminate. Coxae 1-3 not successively smaller, none vestigial or coxa 1 reduced or coxa 1 vestigial. Coxae 2-4 none immensely broadened.

Gnathopod 1 sexually dimorphic, or not sexually dimorphic; smaller (or weaker) than gnathopod 2, or subequal to gnathopod 2, or larger (or stouter) than gnathopod 2; vestigial, hidden or partially hidden by coxa 2, or smaller than coxa 2, or subequal to coxa 2; gnathopod 1 merus and carpus not rotated; gnathopod 1 carpus/propodus not cantilevered; shorter than propodus, or subequal to propodus, or longer than propodus; gnathopod 1 not produced along posterior margin of propodus; dactylus large. Gnathopod 2 sexually dimorphic, or not sexually dimorphic; simple, or carpochelate, or subchelate; coxa smaller than but not hidden by coxa 3, or 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 or elongate, shorter than propodus or subequal to propodus or longer than propodus, not produced along posterior margin of propodus.

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

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

Urosome dorsoventrally flattened, or not dorsoventrally flattened; urosomites 1 to 3 free, or 1 and 2 free, 3 coalesced with telson, or 1 and 2 coalesced, 3 coalesced dorsally with telson; 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, or without robust setae. Uropods 1-3 radically dissimilar in structure and size, or similar in structure and size. Uropod 1 peduncle without long plumose setae, without basofacial robust seta, with ventromedial spur or without ventromedial spur. Uropod 2 well developed; without ventromedial spur, without dorsal flange. Uropod 3 not sexually dimorphic; peduncle elongate; outer ramus shorter than peduncle or subequal to peduncle, 1-articulate, with recurved spines or without recurved spines. Telson thickened dorsoventrally; deeply cleft, or moderately cleft, or weakly cleft, or entire; longer than broad, or as long as broad, or broader than long; apical robust setae absent.

Remarks. The only difference between ampithoids and ischyrocerids (as currently defined) is the apical setae of the inner ramus of uropod 3. This is because the recurved robust setae on the outer ramus of uropod 3 does not define the family Ampithoidae.


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