202 FLABELLIFERA • SPHAEROMATIDAE 



into the subtropics and tropics. The deep- and abyssal-dweihng species usu- 

 ally lack eyes. The animals are epibenthic, living in the upper few centime- 

 ters of the bottom sediment, where they are scavengers and carnivores. 



Serolis Leach, 1818 



DIAGNOSIS Body markedly dorsoventrally flattened. Coxal plates produced 

 laterally. Mandible having lacinia mobilis and single spine. Maxillipedal 

 palp of three articles (rarely two to four). Pereopod 2 exhibiting sexual di- 

 morphism, subchelate in 6 , ambulatory in 9 . Pleopods 1-3, peduncles elon- 

 gate, rami subelliptical. Pleopod 3, exopod uniarticulate. 



Serolis mgrayi Menzies and Frankenberg, 1966 

 Figure 89 



DIAGNOSIS 6 4.5 mm, ovigerous 9 4.7 mm. Eyes present. Cephalon with 

 two middorsal tubercles. Pereonites 2-4 each with faint rounded tubercle 

 just mesial to coxal suture. Pereon and pleon with faint middorsal longitudi- 

 nal carina bearing small blunt tubercle on posterior margin of each segment. 

 Pleonites 1 and 2 with lateral margins not contributing to body outline, over- 

 lapped by pereonite 6. Pleotelson broadly triangular, with lateral carina in 

 anterior half; apex truncate. Uropodal rami reaching to or slightly beyond 

 pleotelsonic apex. 



RECORDS Off North Carolina, 18-34 m; off South Carolina, 22 m; off 

 Georgia, 18-47 m; Florida Keys, 18-88 m; Trinidad; Venezuela, 95 m; Flor- 

 ida, Gulf of Mexico, 11-88 m. 



Family Sphaeromatidae H. Milne Edwards, 1840 



DIAGNOSIS Antennular peduncle of three articles, antennal peduncle of five 

 articles. Mandible stout, lacinia mobilis and molar usually well developed, 

 palp of three articles. Maxillipedal palp of five articles. Mouthparts in some 

 genera metamorphosed and somewhat reduced in ovigerous 9 . Pleon of five 

 partially or completely fused pleonites, often indicated by lateral sutures, 

 plus dorsally convex and sometimes inflated pleotelson. Uropods lateral, ex- 

 opod free if present, endopod fused with sympod. Sexual dimorphism often 

 marked, especially in pleotelsonal structure. Animal often capable of con- 

 globating or folding over. Young brooded in internal pouches or anterior or 

 posterior pockets; oostegites variable in number, if present. 



