Leptocheliidae

Leptochelia sp., copyright Magdalena Błażewicz-Paszkowycz.

Belongs within: Tanaidacea.

The Leptocheliidae are a family of tanaidaceans characterised by a relatively high number of articles in the uropod endopod (Larsen & Wilson 2002).

Characters (from Larsen & Wilson 2002): Female with medium body calcification. No plates in carapace. Eyes present (except in Mesotanais). Pereonite 1 not reduced. Pleon with five free pleonites, as wide as pereon, no articulated setae on pleonites. Antennule with three to five articles. Antenna with six articles, article 3 with or without (Heterotanaoides) dorsal spiniform setae. Molar process broad. Labium with four lobes, medial spiniform setae absent. Maxilliped basis and endites not fused, endites narrower than basis and with two, or (frequently) three flat setae. Cheliped attachment via sclerite. Marsupium (where known) with four pairs of oostegites. Pereopod coxa present on P1–3 but absent on P4–6. P4–6 dactylus and terminal setae fused to a hook. Pleopods well developed. Uropod endopod with three to six articles, exopod with one or two articles. Male (where known) with body shorter than female. Eyes larger than females. Antennule with more than four articles and aesthetascs. Mouthparts reduced. Cheliped always significantly enlarged and elongated. Pleopods well developed.

<==Leptocheliidae
    |--Heterotanaidinae LW02
    |    |--Heterotanaoides Sieg 1976 LW02
    |    |    `--H. meridionalis Sieg 1986 LW02
    |    |--Mesotanais Dollfus 1897 LW02
    |    |    `--M. dubius Dollfus 1897 LW02
    |    `--Heterotanais Sars 1882 LW02
    |         |--H. melacephala H47
    |         `--H. oerstedii (Kroyer 1842) LW02
    `--Leptocheliinae LW02
         |--‘Hargeria’ Lang 1973 non Lucas 1903 LW02
         |    `--H. rapax (Harger 1879) LW02
         |--Intermedichelia Gutu 1996 LW02
         |    `--I. gracilis Gutu 1996 LW02
         |--Pseudoleptochelia Lang 1973 LW02
         |    `--P. antarctica (Lang 1953) LW02
         |--Pseudonototanais Lang 1973 LW02
         |    `--P. werthi (VanHoeffen 1914) LW02
         `--Leptochelia Dana 1852 LW02
              |--L. dubia (Kroyer 1842) LW02
              `--L. filum H47

*Type species of generic name indicated

REFERENCES

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

[LW02] Larsen, K., & G. D. F. Wilson. 2002. Tanaidacean phylogeny, the first step: the superfamily Paratanaidoidea. Journal of Zoological Systematics and Evolutionary Research 40: 205–222.