Tanaidacea: Families

Kim Larsen

Leptocheliidae Lang, 1973

Tanaidae Dana, 1849: 425 (in part).

Paratanaidae Lang 1949: 10.

Paratanaiden Siewing, 1952: 530.

Paratanaida Lang, 1967: 343.

Leptocheliidae Lang, 1973: 223.

Description. Body shape cylindrical. Head, eye present. Antennule (antenna 1) uniramous, with four to five articles. Antenna (antenna 2), with 5 or 6 articles; squama absent. Mouthparts reduced in males. Mandible, palp absent; lacina mobilis only on left mandible; setal row absent; molar broad. Labium with two pairs of lobes, not articulated. Maxillule (maxilla 1), with one endite; palp uniarticulated, palp with two terminal setae. Maxilla (maxilla 2) reduced. Maxilliped, coxa absent; basis not fused; endites not fused, narrower than basis. Epignath small, falciform, uniarticulated, with few setae at apex or completely smooth.


Pleon with five developed pleonites. Pleopods biramous; male pleopods well developed; female pleopods well developed. Uropods present; protopod without curved spiniform process; endopod with two to six articles; exopod with two articles, or with one article.

Generic composition. Hargeria Lang, 1973; Heterotanais G. O. Sars, 1882; Heterotanaoides Sieg, 1976; Intermedichelia Gutu, 1996; Leptochelia Dana, 1852; Mesotanais Dollfus, 1897; Pseudoleptochelia Lang, 1973; Pseudonototanais Lang, 1973.

Remarks. Remarks. Members exclusively found in shallow water.
