Lepechinellidae Schellenberg, 1926

Thurston, Michael H. & Horton, Tammy, 2019, Lepechinellidae, a valid amphipod family name (Crustacea, Amphipoda), Zootaxa 4706 (4), pp. 598-599 : 598

Family Lepechinellidae Schellenberg, 1926 (revived status)

Dorbanellidae Schellenberg, 1925: 205.

Lepechinellidae Schellenberg, 1926: 344 ; K.H. Barnard, 1932: 186; Dahl, 1959: 235; Andres & Brandt, 2001: 79; Sittrop & Serejo, 2009: 474; Johansen & Vader, 2015: 3.

Lepechinellinae Bousfield & Kendall, 1994: 31 ; Lowry & Myers, 2017: 57.

Type genus Lepechinella Stebbing, 1908 , by original designation.

Diagnosis: “Body processiferous dorsomedially (variable), and/or covered with setae/spines. One to all coxal plates of peraeopods 1–4 acutely pointed distally, sometimes bifid. Urosomites 2 and 3 separate to completely fused. Accessory flagellum one- or two-articulate. Mandibular molar and palp present. Lower lip with inner lobes. Maxilla 2: inner plate without oblique row of setae. Peraeopods slender, elongate; peraeopods 5–7 similar, bases linear. Oostegites narrow. Rami of uropods styloid; uropod 3 outer ramus with tiny second article. Telson normally excavate, lobes usually gaping widely.” ( Andres & Brandt, 2001).

Variations: “Rostrum present [e.g. Lepechinella ] or lacking [e.g. Lepechinelloides ]; Cephalic teeth present [e.g. Lepechinella ] or lacking [ Lepechinelloides , Paralepechinella ]; urosomites 2 and 3 separate [ Lepechinella wolffi ] to com- pletely fused [e.g. Lepechinella echinata , L. drygalskii , L. curvispina , Paralepechinella ]; mandibular molar triturative [ Lepechinella , Paralepechinella ] or non-triturative [ Lepechinelloides , Lepechinellopsis ]; mandibular palpus three-articu- late [ Lepechinella , Lepechinellopsis , Paralepechinella ] or one-articulate [ Lepechinelloides ]; uropods 1–3 outer rami re- duced [ Lepechinellopsis ]; telson cleft distally [ Paralepechinella longipalpa Pirlot, 1933 ].” ( Andres & Brandt, 2001).

Remarks: The family Lepechinellidae includes five genera and 42 species of which 34 belong to Lepechinella (Hor- ton et al. 2019). Species within the family show sexual dimorphism and ontogenetic variability ( Thurston 1980) but ap- pear to be rare with many species represented by one or very few specimens ( Barnard 1973). Depth range: 140 8015 m.