Amphipoda: Families and Subfamilies

J.K. Lowry & R.T. Springthorpe

Cheirocratid Group

Description. Head free, not coalesced with peraeonite 1; exposed; as long as deep, or longer than deep; anteroventral margin concave or notched, anteroventral margin not excavate, anteroventral corner rounded or subquadrate; rostrum present or absent, short or long; eyes present, well developed or obsolescent, or absent; not coalesced; 1 pair; not bulging. Body laterally compressed, or subcylindrical; cuticle smooth.

Antenna 1 shorter 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 longer than article 3; peduncular articles 1-2 not geniculate; accessory flagellum present; antenna 1 callynophore absent. Antenna 2 present; medium length; articles not folded in zigzag fashion; without hook-like process; flagellum shorter than peduncle, or as long as peduncle; 5 or more articulate; not clavate; calceoli absent.

Mouthparts well developed. Mandible incisor dentate, or minutely serrate; 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; 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, overlapping, coxae not acuminate. Coxae 1-3 not successively smaller, none 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; 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; simple, or 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 or elongate, shorter than propodus or subequal to propodus, 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; carpus shorter than propodus or subequal to propodus, not produced; dactylus well developed. Coxa subequal to coxa 3, not acuminate, without 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 or without posterior lobe; basis slightly expanded, subrectangular or subovate, without posteroventral lobe; merus/carpus free; carpus linear; with a few subterminal setae. Peraeopod 6 subequal in length to peraeopod 7; merus/carpus free; dactylus 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 slightly expanded, without dense slender setae; dactylus with a few subterminal setae.

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

Urosome not dorsoventrally flattened; urosomites 1 to 3 free; urosomite 1 longer than urosomite 2, or much longer than urosomite 2; urosome urosomite 1 carinate, or 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 similar in structure and size. Uropod 1 peduncle without long plumose setae, without basofacial robust seta, 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 elongate; outer ramus longer than peduncle, 1-articulate, without recurved spines. Telson laminar; deeply cleft; as long as broad; apical robust setae present, or absent.

Habitat. marine.

Habitat. benthic.

Remarks. Barnard & Barnard (1983) diganose chirocratid and hornelliid groups, but there are few differences between them and in this study they are amalgamated (see Karaman, 1985).


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