Tanaidacea: Families

Kim Larsen


Whiteleggiidae Gutu, 1972

Leiopidae Lang, 1970: 603.

Leiopids Boesch, 1973: 186.

Whiteleggiidae Gutu, 1972: 302.

Description. Body shape semicylindrical, dorsoventrally flattened. Head, eye present. Antennule (antenna 1) biramous. Antenna (antenna 2), with more than 6 articles; squama present. Mouthparts well developed, functional in both sexes. Mandible, palp present, comprised of three articles; lacina mobilis only on left mandible; setal row present; molar broad. Labium with one pair of lobes, articulated. Maxillule (maxilla 1), with two endites; palp biarticulated, palp with more than two setae. Maxilla (maxilla 2) well developed. Maxilliped, coxa present; basis not fused; endites not fused, narrower than basis. Epignath large, reniform, with two unevenly sized articles.

Pereonite 1 not reduced, at least three times wider than pereopod basis diameter. Cheliped, attachment directly to ventral cephalothorax surface; 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 short, curved. Pereopod 4 as long as pereopods 5 and 6, dactylus not reduced. Pereopods 4 to 6, coxa present; 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 with curved spiniform process; endopod with more than six articles; exopod with two articles.

Generic composition. Pseudowhiteleggia Lang, 1970; Whiteleggia Lang, 1970.

Remarks. Remarks. Members exclusively found in shallow water.



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