FLABELLIFERA • AEGIDAE 1 1 5 



4. Pereopods 4-7 prehensile, with dactyli longer than propodi; antennae 



reduced, with no clear distinction between peduncle and flagellum 



Cymothoidae 



Pereopods 4-7 ambulatory, with dactyli shorter than propodi; antennae 

 normal, peduncle and flagellum clearly distinguished 5 



5. Maxilliped bearing distal recurved hooks; pereopods 1-3 strongly 



prehensile Aegidae 



Maxilliped lacking distal recurved hooks; pereopods 1-3 ambulatory or 

 at most weakly prehensile 6 



6. Maxilliped lacking, or with very reduced endite; maxilla 1 a strongly 



falcate hook Corallanidae 



Maxilliped with strong endite; maxilla 1 not strongly falcate 7 



7. Mandibular incisor distally narrowed, lacinia lacking; maxilla 1 slender 



and elongate, with 3-5 distal hooked spines Tridentellidae 



Mandibular incisor distally broad, cusped; maxilla 1 relatively broad, 

 with several distal spines and setae Cirolanidae 



usually consisting of two lobes. Pereopods generally ambulatory, sometimes 

 prehensile; pereopods 1 and 2 subchelate only in Serolidae, ancinine 

 Sphaeromatidae, and some Cirolanidae; posterior pereopods sometimes sec- 

 ondarily natatory in some cirolanids. Pleon consisting of as many as five free 

 pleonites plus pleotelson, but pleonites variously fused in several families. 

 Five pairs of pleopods usually present. Uropods lateral, usually forming tail- 

 fan with pleotelson. 



REMARKS This suborder contains a large group of diverse families, largely 

 held together by primitive features such as the tailfan structure. Future work 

 will undoubtedly show the Flabellifera to be an artificial polyphyletic group. 



Family Aegidae Leach, 1815 



DIAGNOSIS Dorsal integument usually unornamented. Coxae distinct on 

 pereonites 2-7. Eyes usually present, large, often almost, or complete con- 

 tiguous. Mandible lacking lacinia mobilis, spine-row, and molar. Maxilla 1 

 slender, with apical spines. Maxilla 2 with two terminal unequal lobes bear- 

 ing apical spines. Maxillipedal palp of two, three, or five articles. Pereopods 

 1—3 prehensile, with dactyli strongly curved; pereopods 4-7 ambulatory. 



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