Gnathiidae

Gnathiidae
Male (left), female (upper right), praniza (lower right)
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Crustacea
Class: Malacostraca
Order: Isopoda
Suborder: Cymothoida
Family: Gnathiidae
Leach, 1814

The Gnathiidae are a family of isopod crustaceans. They occur in a wide range of depths, from the littoral zone to the deep sea. The adults are associated with sponges and may not feed.[1] The juvenile form is known as a 'praniza' larva, and it is a temporary parasite of marine fish.[1]

Taxonomy in the family relies on male characters, such that females and juveniles cannot be reliably identified.[1] The family contains 182 species,[2] divided among the following genera:[3]

  • Afrignathia Hadfield & Smit, 2008
  • Bathygnathia Dollfus, 1901
  • Bythognathia Camp, 1988
  • Caecognathia Dollfus, 1901
  • Elaphognathia Monod, 1926
  • Euneognathia Stebbing, 1893
  • Gibbagnathia Cohen & Poore, 1994
  • Gnathia Leach, 1814
  • Monodgnathia Cohen & Poore, 1994
  • Paragnathia Omer-Cooper & Omer-Cooper, 1916
  • Tenerognathia Tanaka, 2005
  • Thaumastognathia Monod, 1926

External links

References

  1. 1 2 3 Richard Brusca, Vania R. Coelho & Stefano Taiti (2001). "Suborder Gnathiidae [sic]". Guide to the Coastal Marine Isopods of California. Tree of Life Web Project. Retrieved August 28, 2010.
  2. ↑ Jörundar Svavarsson (2006). "New species of Gnathiidae (Crustacea, Isopoda, Cymothoida) from seamounts off northern New Zealand" (PDF). Zootaxa 1173: 39–56.
  3. ↑ WoRMS (2010). M. Schotte, C. B. Boyko, N. L. Bruce, G. C. B. Poore, S. Taiti & G. D. F. Wilson, ed. "Gnathiidae". World Marine, Freshwater and Terrestrial Isopod Crustaceans database. World Register of Marine Species. Retrieved August 28, 2010.
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