LAOPHONTIDAE T. Scott, 1905

Gheerardyn, Hendrik, Fiers, Frank, Vincx, Magda & Troch, Marleen De, 2007, Revision of the genus Tapholeon Wells, 1967 (Copepoda, Harpacticoida, Laophontidae), Journal of Natural History 41 (37 - 40), pp. 2479-2510 : 2480-2481

Family LAOPHONTIDAE T. Scott, 1905

Subfamily LAOPHONTINAE T. Scott, 1905 sensu Huys and Lee, 2000 Genus Tapholeon Wells, 1967

Updated diagnosis

Laophontidae : habitus slender and elongate, slightly depressed dorso-ventrally; with distinct convex curvature in lateral aspect; without demarcation between prosome and urosome. Cephalothorax slightly longer than wide, with parallel margins. Urosome only slightly tapering posteriorly. Anal operculum convex with serrate margin, not distinctly protruding. Caudal rami dorso-ventrally flattened. Dorsal surface depressed beyond implantation of seta VII. Seta IV and V rather short.

Sexual dimorphism in body size, antennule, P5, P6, genital segmentation, and ornamentation of ventral surface of urosome.

Rostrum prominent, fused to cephalothorax. Female antennule five- or six-segmented. Male antennule sub-chirocer. Second segment (both sexes) bearing small blunt process and strong, armed spine along posterior margin. Ultimate segment of female antennule bearing (at least) two stout setae. Antenna with reduced abexopodal seta on allobasis. Antennary exopod well developed; bearing four setae (one of which dwarfed). Mandibular palp uniramous, bearing one, one, three setae, representing basis, exopod, and endopod, respectively. Maxillule with two elements on coxal endite; basal endite with two setae and one curved spine; endopod represented by three setae; exopod with two setae. Maxillary syncoxa with three endites; praecoxal endite small, with one seta; both coxal endites with three elements; allobasis drawn out into claw, with two accessory elements; endopod represented by two setae. Maxilliped subchelate; syncoxa with one seta; endopod claw-shaped with one short seta at base. Exopod P1 one- or two-segmented. Swimming legs P2–P4 with two-segmented endopods and three-segmented exopods. Swimming leg setal formulae in Table I. Without sexual dimorphism in P2–P4. P5 with separate exopod and baseoendopod. Female P5 with endopodal lobe reaching at least to middle of exopod, bearing one apical and three lateral setae; exopod ovate to rhomboid, bearing five setae. Male P5 baseoendopod obsolete, without endopodal seta; exopod small, bearing three or four setae. P6 vestiges bearing one seta in female; vestiges asymmetrical in male, with each outer distal corner produced into cylindrical process bearing two setae.

Type species

Tapholeon ornatus Wells, 1967 .

Other species

T. arenicolus ( Chappuis, 1954) comb. nov.; T. chappuisius ( Krishnaswamy, 1957) comb. nov.; T. inconspicuus Gheerardyn and Fiers sp. nov.; T. tenuis Gheerardyn and Fiers sp. nov.; T. uniarticulatus Wells, 1967 .