Aegidae

Specimen of Rocinela belliceps attached to a spotted ratfish Hydrolagus colliei, photographed by Upupa4me.

Belongs within: Cymothoida.

The Aegidae are a family of marine isopods, members of which are external parasites of fish. The first three pairs of pereopods are modified for clinging to their host. Members of the genus Aega have the maxillipedal palp reduced, so that it has only two segments, whereas five palpal segments are present in Rocinella (Menzies & Kruczynski 1983).

Characters (from Menzies & Kruczynski 1983): Peduncles and flagella of antennae well defined. First three pairs of pereopods prehensile, last four pairs ambulatory. Pleopods with plumose marginal setae. Maxillipedal palp bi- or pentarticulate, last two articles with series of stout recurved setae at apex. Maxilla I with single lobe; maxilla II with two dissimilar lobes armed with recurved teeth. Pleon of five subequal somites, followed by pleotelson bearing plumose marginal setae at apex.

<==Aegidae
    |--Barybrotes Schioedte & Meinert 1979 BP03
    |--Aega Leach 1815 MK83
    |    |--*A. psora (Linnaeus 1761) [=Oniscus psora; incl. A. emarginata Leach 1815] MK83
    |    |--A. antartica Hodgson 1910 BP03
    |    |--A. antillensis Schiödte & Meinert 1880 [incl. A. excisa Richardson 1910] MK83
    |    |--A. dentata Schiödte & Meinert 1880 MK83
    |    |--A. ecarinata Richardson 1898 MK83
    |    |--A. gracilipes Hansen 1895 MK83
    |    |--A. incisa Schiödte & Meinert 1880 MK83
    |    |--A. komai Bruce 1996 BP03
    |    |--A. ornata Richardson 1911 MK83
    |    |--A. plebeia Hansen 1897 BP03
    |    |--A. symmetrica H47
    |    |--A. tenuipes Schiödte & Meinert 1880 MK83
    |    `--A. webbii (Guérin 1836) MK83
    `--Rocinela Leach 1818 T08
         |--*R. danmonensis Leach 1818 MK83
         |--R. angustata H47
         |--R. belliceps H47
         |    |--R. b. belliceps H47
         |    `--R. b. pugettensis Hatch 1947 H47
         |--R. cubensis Richardson 1898 MK83
         |--R. dumerili (Lucas 1849) T08
         |--R. insularis Schiödte & Meinert 1880 MK83
         |--R. laticauda H47
         |--R. oculata Harger 1883 MK83
         |--R. orientalis Schioedte & Meinert 1879 T08
         |--R. propodialis H47
         |--R. quadrata BP03
         |--R. signata Schiödte & Meinert 1880 [incl. R. aries Schiödte & Meinert 1880] MK83
         `--R. tridens Hatch 1947 H47

*Type species of generic name indicated

REFERENCES

[BP03] Brandt, A. & G. C. B. Poore. 2003. Higher classification of the flabelliferan and related Isopoda based on a reappraisal of relationships. Invertebrate Systematics 17: 893–923.

[H47] Hatch, M. H. 1947. The Chelifera and Isopoda of Washington and adjacent regions. University of Washington Publications in Biology 10 (5): 155–274.

[MK83] Menzies, R. J., & W. L. Kruczynski. 1983. Isopod Crustacea (exclusive of Epicaridea). Memoirs of the Hourglass Cruises 6 (1): 1–126.

[T08] Trilles, J.-P. 2008. Some marine isopods from the Senckenberg Research Institute (Frankfurt am Main, Germany) (Crustacea, Isopoda: Cymothoidae, Aegidae, Corallanidae, Cirolanidae). Senckenbergiana Biologica 88 (1): 21–28.