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Tantulocarida, a New Class of Crustacea Ectoparasitic on other Crustaceans

1983; Oxford University Press; Volume: 3; Issue: 1 Linguagem: Inglês

10.2307/1547849

1937-240X

Geoffrey A. Boxshall, Roger J. Lincoln,

Parasite Biology and Host Interactions

New species of the little known genera Basipodella Becker and Deoterthron Bradford and Hewitt 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, new species) and of Deoterthron aselloticola, new species, has 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 recognisable cephalic appendages, the possession of a solid median cephalic stylet, six free thoracic somites, each bearing a pair of thoracopods, and six abdominal somites. The anterior five 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.