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U.S. NATIONAL MUSEUM BULLETIN 278 



Figure 55. — Distribution records of Caprella andreae, Caprella danilevskii, Caprella equilibra, 

 Caprella scaura, and Caprella unica in the western North Atlantic. 



Recently, Kudrjaschov and Vassilenko (1966) described a new 

 family, Caprogammaridea, which they thought formed a link between 

 the Gammaridea and Caprellidea. They placed this family within the 

 Gammaridea due to the following characters: The cephalon is not 

 fused with pereonite 1 ; small coxal plates are present on all pereonites 

 except 3 and 4 ; the abdomen consists of 5 free somites and bears 3 

 pairs of biramous pleopods and 2 pairs of uniramous uropods; and 

 the abdomen bears a small telson. In order to place this important link 

 between the 2 suborders in the Gammaridea, I beUeve that it would 

 be necessary to alter significantly the definition of the Gammaridea. 

 Stebbing (1906) defines this suborder as Amphipoda which have the: 



Head not fused with 1st segment of peraeon. Palp of maxilliped 2- to 4-jointed. 

 Peraeon with 7 pairs of legs ; 5 or 6 segments of peraeon with branchial vesicles ; 

 4 segments of female with marsupial plates; 1st joint of gnathopods 1, 2 and of 



