286 U.S. NATIONAL MUSEUM BULLETIN 271 



Lepechinellidae 



Figure 112 



Diagnosis. — One or more and usually all of coxae 1-4 acutely 

 pointed below or anteriorly, occasionally bifid; accessory flagellum 

 composed of one spine-like article; pleonites 5-6 ?coalesced. See 

 Paramphithoidae, Atylidae, Eusiridae, Pleustidae. 



Description. — Body processif erous ; accessory flagellum 1-articu- 

 late, spine-like; rostrum conspicuous; upper lip probably always 

 incised slightly; molar of mandible triturative, palp 3-articulate, 

 slender, short or long; lower lip apparently with coalesced inner lobes, 

 remaining mouthparts basic; gnathopods feeble, slender, subchelate; 

 coxae of medium length or shortened, usually acuminate, often bifid; 

 rami of uropod 3 greatly elongate, very slender, 3-6 times as long as 

 peduncle; telson short, cleft, lobes diverging. 



Relationship. — Originally this family was a part of the Param- 

 phithoidae, because the type-genus Lepechinella was placed there by 

 Stebbing (1908a); the junior synonym Dorbanella Chevreux (1914) 

 was placed in the Tironidae but Schellenberg (1925a) removed that to 

 a family Dorbanellidae, later to take the name of the senior synonym 

 of the type-genus. Lepechinellidae resemble Paramphithoidae but 

 presumably all species have pleonites 5-6 coalesced. The inner lobes 

 of the lower lip of lepechinellids apparently are always fused together 

 in contrast to the Paramphithoidae. 



The coxae of Atylidae are elongate and not acuminate distally and 

 their gnathopods are shorter and stouter than those of Lepechinellidae. 

 Coxae 2-4 of Paralepechinella are scarcely, if at all acuminate. 



No pleustid has coalesced urosomal segments nor a spine-like 

 accessory flagellum. That family has characteristic lower lips. 



Dexaminidae, Kuriidae, Prophliantidae all lack mandibular palps. 



Key to the Genera of Lepechinellidae 



1. Mandibular palp article 3 much shorter than article 2 (fig. 112c). 



Lepechinella 

 Mandibular palp article 3 immense, much longer than article 2 (fig. Il2h). 



Paralepechinella 



Genera of Lepechinellidae 



Lepechinella Stebbing 



Lepechinella Stebbing, 1908a. 

 Dorbanella Chevreux, 1914. 



Type-species: L. chrysotheras Stebbing, 1908a (monotypy). 

 Species: 13, cosmopolitan, bathyal and abyssal. 



