Tegastidae Explained

Tegastidae is a family of copepods, which are characterised by having laterally compressed bodies (resembling that of an amphipod), a claw-like mandible in the nauplius stage, and by a modified male genital complex.^[1] 85 species have been described in 6 genera. Two species of Smacigastes are found at hydrothermal vents, while the remaining species are found in shallow water, associated with algae, bryozoans and cnidarians, such as corals.^[1]

The six genera are:^[2]

• Arawella Cottarelli & Baldari, 1987
• Feregastes Fiers, 1986
• Parategastes Sars, 1904
• Smacigastes Ivanenko & Defaye, 2004
• Syngastes Monard, 1924
• Tegastes Norman, 1903

Notes and References

1. Sabine Gollner, Viatcheslav N. Ivanenko & Pedro Martinez Arbizu . 2008 . A new species of deep-sea Tegastidae (Crustacea: Copepoda: Harpacticoida) from 9°50´N on the East Pacific Rise, with remarks on its ecology . . 1866 . 323–326 . PDF.
2. Web site: T. Chad Walter & Rony Huys . 2010 . Tegastidae . T. Chad Walter & Geoff Boxshall . World Copepoda database . . November 9, 2010.