Major Group: Crustacea
Minor Group: Malacostraca
Order: Anaspidacea
Family: Psammaspididae |
Descriptive Features: body elongate, vermiform, small to medium size
eyes absent
rostrum bilobed
scaphocerite absent
mandible with a 3 segmented palp
maxillule without palp
maxilla with 4 lobes
maxilliped coxa without epipodites, maxilliped basis with 1 tubular exopodite
pereopods 1-7 coxa with 1 tubular epipodite, pereopods 1-6 with 1 jointed exopodite, pereopods 7 with 1 tubular exopodite
pleopod 1 with multi-segmented exopodite and endopodite, pleopod 2 with endopodite only, pleopods 2-5 reduced to 0-3 segmented exopods
uropodal rami elongate and tubular, uropod outer rami 2 segmented, uropod inner rami 2 segmented
telson apical margin round
Total length: up to 20 mm |
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Psammaspididae |
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Taxonomic Checklist: Species
Eucrenonaspides oinotheke Knott & Lake
Psammaspides williamsi Schminke |
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Distribution: NSW, Tas
Sensitivity Rating: none
Functional Feeding Group: gathering collectors |
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Wellington, NSW |
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Ecology: Instream habitat: Psammaspididae species occur in caves, the interstitial hyporheic zones of sand and gravels of rivers and groundwater (aquifers) systems.
Feeding ecology: Psammaspidid crustaceans are detritus feeders consuming sediment, and possibly algae.
Habit:
Life history: |
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Information Sources: Poore 2002, Serov 2002, Lake et al. 2001
Key to Genera: Serov 2002 |
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