Diastylidae
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Diastylidae | ||||||||||||||
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 Diastylis laevis
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20 genera and around 285 species.[1]
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Diastylidae[2] is one of the eight most commonly recognised families of crustaceans of the order Cumacea. They are marine creatures especially common north and south of the 30th parallel.[3]
[edit] Anatomy
Diastylidae have a medium to large, free telson, that has not fused with the last pleon segment. The telson usually bears two terminal setae.
Males have generally two pairs of pleopods, though in rare cases they may be rather small or even entirely absent. The flagellum of the second antenna reaches past the pereon.
In females the second antenna is much smaller than the first antenna. In males the third maxilliped and the first four pereiopods almost always have exopods (outer branches). In females they may, in rare cases, be absent from all but the third maxillipeds, and the two first pereiopods.
The interior branch of the uropods are generally made up of two or three segments, but in some rare case may have just one. Members of this family frequently show clear sexual dimorphism.[4]
[edit] References
- ^ Watling, L., S. Gerken, et al., (2003). The Cumacea. DELTA database and INTKEY illustrated, interactive key to the crustacean order Cumacea.
- ^ Bate, S., (1856). "On the British Diastylidae." The Annals and Magazine of Natural History 102 102: 446-465.
- ^ Watling, L. & L. D. McCann, (1997). Cumacea. Taxonomic Atlas of the Benthic Fauna of the Santa Maria Basin and Western Santa Barbara Channel. Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History. 11: 121-180.
- ^ Jones, N. S., (1976). "British Cumaceans." Synopses of the British Fauna (New Series) 7: 12-13.
[edit] External links
- Diastylidae on the Cumacea World Database.
