Top Qs
Timeline
Chat
Perspective
Protognathia
Genus of crustaceans From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Remove ads
Protognathia is a genus of marine isopods belonging to the monotypic family Protognathiidae.[1]
The species of this genus are found in southernmost South Hemisphere,[1] more specifically in the Weddell Sea, where the type specimen was found at a water depth from 410 to 245 meters.[2]
Remove ads
Species
The Genus contains the following species:[1]
- Protognathia bathypelagica (Schultz, 1977)
- Protognathia waegeli Kussakin & Rybakov, 1995
Description
Isopods of this family (and genus respectively) are a morphologic intermediate between members of Gnathiidae and Cirolanidae, which is why the type species, Protognathia bathypelagica, was at first misidentified as Cirolana bathypelagica.[3] Their pleonites are not fused. Pereonites four to six are larger than the remaining segments, and the seventh pereonite is about as large as a pleonite. The seventh pereopod is absent. The uropods are flat and slender, almost as long as the pleotelson. Members of this genus have a tail fan and lack eyes. All pleopods have similar outlines, with large branches.[2]
Remove ads
Ecology
While its mandibles resemble those of cirolanid isopods, it is not used as a cutting instrument, as they have a pronounced point probably used for stinging. This then suggests a bloodsucking, ectoparasitic ecology.[2]
References
Wikiwand - on
Seamless Wikipedia browsing. On steroids.
Remove ads