Epicaridea Explained

Epicaridea is a former suborder of isopods, now treated as an infraorder in suborder Cymothoida.[1] They are ectoparasites that inhabit other crustaceans, namely ostracods, copepods, barnacles and malacostracans. Epicarideans are found globally. Epicaridea are generally less well researched than other isopods.[2]

There is a high degree of sexual dimorphism within epicarideans. The female is commonly very asymmetrical, often losing segmentation. Two pairs of rudimentary antennae are carried on the head. Mouthparts show little development, with only mandibles and maxillipeds present, sometimes with a second pair of rudimentary maxillae. Males are of smaller size than females and of different appearance. Development is through regressive metamorphosis, undergoing two or three larval stages.[3]

The oldest trace fossils of epicarideans, comprising preserved damage to gills of fossilised crustaceans, goes back to the Late Jurassic, and a lost specimen from the Toarcian of Western New Guinea suggests that it may go back further to the Early Jurassic. Fossil epicaridean larvae are known from the Vendée amber of France and the Burmese amber of Myanmar, dating to the early Late Cretaceous,[4] [5] and also from Miocene aged Chiapas amber.[6]

Classification

Eleven families are currently recognised within the suborder Epicaridea, divided into two superfamilies.[7] [8]

Notes and References

  1. Angelika Brandt & Gary C. B. Poore . 2003 . Higher classification of the flabelliferan and related Isopoda based on a reappraisal of relationships . . 17 . 6 . 893–923 . 10.1071/IS02032.
  2. Book: Brian Morton . 2003 . Perspectives on Marine Environmental Change in Hong Kong and Southern China, 1977-2001 . . 962-209-641-7 . 1–152.
  3. Book: Harriet Richardson . Harriet Richardson . 1905 . A Monograph on the Isopods of North America . . 1–497 .
  4. Schädel. Mario. Hörnig. Marie K.. Hyžný. Matúš. Haug. Joachim T.. 2021-06-01. Mass occurrence of small isopodan crustaceans in 100-million-year-old amber: an extraordinary view on behaviour of extinct organisms. PalZ. 95. 3. 429–445. en. 10.1007/s12542-021-00564-9. 1867-6812. free.
  5. Schädel. Mario. Perrichot. Vincent. Haug. Joachim T.. 2019-11-12. Exceptionally preserved cryptoniscium larvae - morphological details of rare isopod crustaceans from French Cretaceous Vendean amber. Palaeontologia Electronica. English. 22. 3. 1–46. 10.26879/977. 209391266. 1094-8074. free.
  6. Serrano-Sánchez. María de Lourdes. Nagler. Christina. Haug. Carolin. Haug. Joachim T.. Centeno-García. Elena. Vega. Francisco J.. 2016-01-21. The first fossil record of larval stages of parasitic isopods: cryptoniscus larvae preserved in Miocene amber. Neues Jahrbuch für Geologie und Paläontologie - Abhandlungen. en. 279. 1. 85414. 10.1127/njgpa/2016/0543. 0077-7749.
  7. Book: An Updated Classification of the Recent Crustacea . Joel W. Martin & George E. Davis . 2001 . 1–132 . . 2009-12-15 . 2013-05-12 . https://web.archive.org/web/20130512091254/http://atiniui.nhm.org/pdfs/3839/3839.pdf . dead .
  8. Web site: WoRMS - World Register of Marine Species - Epicaridea.

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