Tantulocarida

Diagnostic figures of the tantulus larva of Austrotantulus lincolni from Boxshall (1988). The mature male can be seen developing within the trunk sac.

Belongs within: Vericrustacea.

The Tantulocarida are a group of minute marine crustaceans ectoparasitic on other crustaceans: they have been recorded from copepods, cumaceans, isopods, ostracods and tanaids (Boxshall 1988). Other than paired antennules at one stage of the life cycle, tantulocaridans completely lack cephalic appendages (Martin & Davis 2001).

Tantulocarida
    |  i. s.: Stygotantulus stocki MD01
    |--Microdajidae B88
    |--Doryphallophoridae MD01
    |--Onceroxenidae MD01
    |--Basipodella [Basipodellidae] B88
    |    |--B. atlantica B88
    |    `--B. harpacticola B88
    `--Deoterthridae B88
         |--Austrotantulus Boxshall 1988 B88
         |    `--*A. lincolni Boxshall 1988 B88
         `--Deoterthron B88
              |--*D. dentatum B88
              |--D. aselloticola B88
              |--D. harrisoni B88
              `--D. megacephala B88

*Type species of generic name indicated

REFERENCES

[B88] Boxshall, G. A. 1988. A new genus of tantulocaridan (Crustacea: Tantulocarida) parasitic on a harpacticoid copepod from Tasmania. Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History), Zoology series 54 (6): 271-274.

[MD01] Martin, J. W., & G. E. Davis. 2001. An updated classification of the Recent Crustacea. Natural History Museum Los Angeles County, Science Series 39: 1-124.