Carcinonemertidae Sumner, Osburn & Cole, 1913

Santos, Cynthia, Norenburg, Jon L. & Bueno, Sérgio L. S., 2006, Three new species of Carcinonemertes (Nemertea, Carcinonemertidae) from the southeastern coast of Brazil, Journal of Natural History 40 (15 - 16), pp. 915-930 : 917

Family Carcinonemertidae Sumner, Osburn & Cole, 1913

Diagnosis

Modified by Shields et al. (1989) from Humes (1942): Monostiliferous hoplonemerteans living as symbionts (egg predators) on the gills, under the abdomen, on the apodemes, and axillae, and in or on the egg masses of decapod crustaceans. Short proboscis, reaching scarcely beyond the posterior end of the muscular portion of the esophagus. Lateral nerves lie internal to the well-developed submuscular glands. Cephalic glands well developed, with cephalic muscle fibers present. Cerebral organs lacking. Takakura’s duct system present in males. Internal fertilization and oviparity occur commonly. In most species, adult worms occupy, at least temporarily, mucus sheaths secreted and attached to the setae on the pleopods and hairs of endopodites of ovigerous decapods. Embryos hatch as hoplonemertean larvae.