Aegisthidae Family - Marine Planktonic Copepods

Harpacticoida ( Order )	details
Cervinioidea ( Superfamily )	details

Abbreviations or symbols

Aegisthidae Giesbrecht, 1892 ( Harpacticoida, Cervinioidea )

Syn.:

Pontostratiotidae A. Scott, 1909 (part., p.232)

Ref.:

Giesbrecht, 1892 (p.78); Lang, 1948 a (p.171); Lang, 1948 a (p.171); Bowman & Abele, 1982 (p.10); Razouls, 1982 (p.732); Huys, 1988 (p.116, Rev.); Huys & Boxshall, 1991 (p.356, 409, 420, 460); Razouls, 1993 (p.312); Bradford-Grieve & al., 1999 (p.887, 968); Lee & Huys, 2000 (p.42: Rem.); Boxshall & Halsey, 2004 (p.17; 228: Def.; p.230: Key of Genera); Vives & Shmeleva, 2010 (p.87, Rem.)

Rem.:

5 G: Aegisthus, Andromastax, Jamstecia, Nudivorax, Scabrantenna.
For Lee & Huys (2000, p.42) there exists some confusion over the precise homology and armature of the caudal rami in the family. Giesbrecht (1892) misinterpreted these appendages as extrelely long "setiferous" setae, each borne on a very short ramus which is itself largely incorporated into the anal somite. The earlier erroneous interpretation unfortunately persisted in the litterature. It has been difficult to assess the number of caudal setae in previous studies because the fragile caudal rami are either incomplete or broken off. The discovery of Scabrantenna yooi male revelealed the precise number of setae.
After Huys (1988, p.122) because of the combination of sexually dimorphic features in the cephalosome which is only approximated by Cervinia magna and some Metahuntemannia species, it is clear that the Aegisthidae occupy a unique place within the harpacticoida in general abnd within the Cervinioidea in particular. Aegisthids can be assigned to the Cervinioidea on the basis of, amonst other synapomorphies, the aesthetasc arrangement of the male A1

(1) Aegisthus Giesbrecht, 1891

Species, varieties and details

Syn.:

Hensenella Dahl, 1895 a (p.171); Hensella : Monard, 1927 (p.148)

Ref.:

Giesbrecht, 1892 (p.80, 573); van Breemen, 1908 a (p.181, clé spp.); A. Scott, 1909 (p.233); Wilson 1932 a (p.304); Rose, 1933 a (p.292, clé spp.); Klie, 1943 a (n°4, p.3); Davis, 1949 (p.71); Lang, 1948 a (p.173); Wells, 1970 (n°133, p.4); Boxshall, 1979 (p.203); Razouls, 1982 (p.732); Bodin, 1988 (p.16); Huys, 1988 (p.114, 117); Huys & Boxshall, 1991 (p.113); Lee & Huys, 2000 (p.69: Rem.); Boxshall & Halsey, 2004 (p.230); Vives & Shmeleva, 2010 (p.87, Rem., spp. key)

Rem.:

type: Aegisthus mucronatus Giesbrecht,1891. 2 spp. + 1 doutbtful (inc. sed.
For Huys (1988, p.124)the sexual dimorphism amongst the three known Aegisthus species is markedly constant. Apart from differences in the antennular sgmentation in the male, Boxshall (1979) found that the Mx2 and Mxp are closer to the female condition in A. aculeatus males than in A. mucronatus males.

Remarks on dimensions and sex ratio:

The mean size of the females is 1.872 mm (n=3) and of the males 1.38 mm (n=2). The size-ratio (M/F) is 0.746 or 74.6%.

(2) Andromastax Conroy-Dalton & Huys, 1999

Species, varieties and details

Ref.:

Conroy-Dalton & Huys,1999 (p.409, 427, Déf.); Boxshall & Halsey, 2004 (p.230)

Rem.:

2 spp.

(3) Jamstecia Lee & Huys, 2000

Species, varieties and details

Ref.:

Lee & Huys, 2000 (p.42, Déf.); Boxshall & Halsey, 2004 (p.230)

Rem.:

1 sp.

(4) Nudivorax Lee & Huys, 2000

Species, varieties and details

Ref.:

Lee & Huys, 2000 (p.4, Déf.); Boxshall & Halsey, 2004 (p.230)

Rem.:

1 sp.

(5) Scabrantenna Lee & Huys, 2000

Species, varieties and details

Ref.:

Lee & Huys, 2000 (p.25); Boxshall & Halsey, 2004 (p.230)

Rem.:

For Lee & Huys (2000, p.41) this genus can be considered a transitionary genus between the more primitive genera, Nudivorx and Andromastax, and the truly planktonic Aesisthidae, Aegisthus. It shares with Aegisthus the strongly reduced mouthparts and the distally elongate antennules in the male. S. yooi is particularly reminiscent of A. aculeatus