Tantulocarida, a New Class of Crustacea Ectoparasitic on other Crustaceans

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
New species of the little known genera Basipodella Becker [B. atlantica ] and Deoterthron Bradford and Hewitt [D. aselloticola ] are described from material collected in the Atlantic off the Azores and from the Tasman Sea. Detailed examination of all known material of Basipodella (B. harpacticola Becker, 1975, and B. atlantica) and of D. aselloticola confirmed that earlier assignments of these genera to the Copepoda and Cirripedia were incorrect. These genera represent a new class of Crustacea for which the name Tantulocarida is proposed. Tantulocarids are minute copepod-like ectoparasites of other deep-sea benthic crustaceans. Their diagnostic characters include: the lack of any recognizable cephalic appendages, the possession of a solid median cephalic stylet, 6 free thoracic somites, each bearing a pair of thoracopods, and 6 abdominal somites. The anterior 5 pairs of thoracopods are biramous, each has a well-developed protopod and a large endite arising from the base of the protopod. The phylogenetic relationships of the Tantulocarida are discussed.

This publication has 0 references indexed in Scilit: