Tanaidacea: Families

Kim Larsen


Leptognathiidae Sieg, 1976 Lepgnat.rtf.

Leptognathiidae Sieg, 1976: 185.

Anarthruridae Sieg, 1986: 17.

Description. Body shape cylindrical. Head, eye absent. Antennule (antenna 1) uniramous, with four to five articles. Antenna (antenna 2), with 5 or 6 articles; squama absent. Mouthparts reduced in males. Mandible, palp absent; lacina mobilis only on left mandible; setal row absent; molar pointed. Labium with one pair of lobes, not articulated. Maxillule (maxilla 1), with one endite; palp uniarticulated, palp with two terminal setae. Maxilla (maxilla 2) reduced. Maxilliped, coxa absent; basis fused; endites not fused, narrower than basis. Epignath small, falciform, uniarticulated, with few setae at apex or completely smooth.

Pereonite 1 not reduced, at least three times wider than pereopod basis diameter. Cheliped, attachment via sidepiece (sclerite); exopod absent; carpus with few or no long plumose setae. Pereopods 1 to 3, coxae present. Pereopod 1, without plumose setae on distal articles; coxa not extended into acute spine; ischium present; dactylus long, curved with spinning glands at tip. Pereopod 4 as long as pereopods 5 and 6, dactylus not reduced. Pereopods 4 to 6, coxa absent; dactylus and terminal seta not fused. Marsupium formed by four pairs of oostegites.

Pleon with five developed pleonites. Pleopods biramous; male pleopods well developed; female pleopods well developed. Uropods present; protopod without curved spiniform process; endopod with two articles; exopod with one article.

Generic composition. Leptognathia G.O. Sars, 1882.

Remarks. Remarks. This family is currently monotypic.



Cite this publication as: 'Larsen, K. (2002 onwards). Tanaidacea: Families. Version 1: 2 October 2002. https://crustacea.net'.