著者

大塚 攻

出版者

日本動物分類学会

雑誌

タクサ : 日本動物分類学会誌 (ISSN:13422367)

巻号頁・発行日

no.2, pp.3-12, 1997-02-10

被引用文献数

1

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The Tantulocarida are small maxillopodan crustaceans ectoparasitic on amphipods, cumaceans, isopods, tanaidaceans, copepods and ostracods. The group consists of five families, 17 genera, and 25 species, two of which have so far been recorded in Japanese waters. Their taxonomy is based mainly on the morphology of their tantulus larvae and, in addition, adult females and males. Recently two life cycles have been discovered in tantulocaridans : parthenogenetic and sexual. The dispersal phases are tantulus larvae and sexual males and females, all of which are non-feeding stages. Host-specificity seems to be relatively low because a single species has been found infesting nine species of copepods in six families and three orders. These parasites may suppress their hosts' ecdysis. Future studies on the Tantulocarida are proposed.