Leptocheliidae
Creators: name: Edgar, Graham J.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2012
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Malacostraca
Tanaidacea
Leptocheliidae

description: Key to known Australian species of Leptocheliidae (expanded from Bamber 2008)
1 Antennule of five or fewer articles plus minute distal article (females)*.......................................... 2
- Antennule of more than six articles (males)*............................................................... 13
2 Antennule of four longer articles plus minute distal article........................................ Catenarius daviei
- Antennule of three longer articles plus minute distal article.................................................... 3
3 Antennule articles 2 and 3 without stout spiniform setae; cheliped merus ventral margin with four or more setae; cheliped car- pus extending distally into a cuff; posterior demarcation of second thoracomere apparent............................. 4
- Antennules articles 2 and 3 with stout spiniform setae; cheliped merus ventral margin with three or fewer setae; cheliped car- pus not extending distally into a cuff; thoracomeres fused with no obvious demarcation.............................. 6
4 Antennule article-1 less than twice as long as wide; uropod exopod with two articles; maxilliped basis with five long setae; white with red markings in life............................................................... Konarus cheiris
- Antennule article-1 at least 2.5 times as long as wide; maxilliped basis with four long setae; uropod exopod with one article 5
5 About five distal setae on cheliped merus................................................... Parakonarus fairgo
- About 11 distal setae on cheliped merus.................................................. Parakonarus robertsoni
6 Uropod exopod of two articles; body olive green in life...................................... Leptochelia dijonesae
- Uropod exopod of one article............................................................................ 7
7 Uropod exopod only half length of proximal endopod article................................................... 8
- Uropod endopod at least 0.8 times as long as proximal endopod article........................................... 9
8 Cephalothorax at least 1.5 times as long as wide; pereopod-1 basis <2.7 times as long as wide; antennule peduncle article-1 less than three times as long as wide........................................................ Leptochelia myora
- Cephalothorax less than 1.25 times as long as wide; pereopod-1 basis 3 times as long as wide; antennule peduncle article-1 more than three times as long as wide............................................................ Poorea nobbi
9 Longest distal seta on antennule peduncle article-2 twice as long as article; antenna peduncle with distal seta on article-3 lon- ger than article, mid-length seta on article-4 exceeding distal tip of article......................... Leptochelia guduroo
- Longest distal seta on antennule peduncle article two less than 1.5 times as long as article; antenna peduncle without distal seta on article-3, mid-length seta on article-4 as long as article width or absent....................................... 10
10 Cheliped carpus 1.6 times as long as wide; proximal article of antenna with small distal seta......................... 11
- Cheliped carpus twice as long as wide; proximal article of antenna lacking setae................................. 12
11 Maxilliped basis with six or seven long setae extending to third palp article; two or three spiniform setae on the carpus on pere- opods 2 and 3........................................................................... Leptochelia ignota
- Maxilliped basis with four long setae extending to third palp article; single spiniform seta on the carpus on pereopods 2 and 3.................................................................................... Leptochelia opteros
12 Uropod exopod as long as proximal endopod article; dactylus plus claw on first pereopod as long as propodus; antennule peduncle article-2 longest distal seta much shorter than article length........................... Leptochelia karragarra
- Uropod exopod longer than proximal endopod article; dactylus plus claw on first pereopod 1.25 times as long as propodus; antennule peduncle article-2 longest distal seta much longer than article length....................... Leptochelia daggi
13 Cheliped subchelate or, if tending to chelate, then propodus width more than half length and set at right angle to main axis of cheliped............................................................................................ 22
- Cheliped chelate, propodus width less than half length....................................................... 14
14 Cheliped as long as or longer than body................................................................... 15
- Cheliped less than two-thirds body length; proximal antennule article about as long as or shorter than cephalon......... 17
15 Cheliped with long flat-topped process on inner margin of fixed finger that is twice width of dactylus.... Leptochelia gadgeti
- Cheliped fixed finger similar in width to dactylus........................................................... 16
16 Large hyposphenia below pereonites 2–4; uropod exopod with two articles......................... Leptochelia vimesi
- No large hyposphenia below pereonites 2–4; uropod exopod with one small article.................... Leptochelia evansi
17 Pereopod-6 basis with distinct posterio-dorsal flange.......................................... Leptochelia opteros
- Pereopod-6 basis without flange, normal.................................................................. 18
18 Cheliped carpus with convex dorsal edge and ventral flange, the whole almost as wide as long; chela fixed finger set at right- angles to axis of propodus................................................................ Leptochelia myora
- Cheliped carpus at least 1.5 times as long as wide, without ventral flange........................................ 19
19 Uropod exopod of two articles.......................................................... Leptochelia dijonesae
- Uropod exopod of one article........................................................................... 20
20 Chela fixed finger shorter than body of propodus, with single tooth-like apophysis on cutting edge; endopod of four articles; body length <2 mm ................................................................ Leptochelia karragarra
- Chela fixed finger longer than body of propodus, with two tooth-like apophyses on cutting edge; endopod of five articles; body length> 2.5 mm ..................................................................................... 21
21 Uropod exopod longer than proximal article of endopod; antennule second article <0.5 length of first article; cheliped propo- dus cutting edge without crenulations........................................................ Leptochelia ignota
- Uropod exopod shorter than proximal article of endopod; antennule second article 0.85 length of first article; cheliped propo- dus with crenulations along proximal half of cutting edge........................................ Leptochelia daggi
22 Cheliped dactylus extending to tip of fixed finger.......................................................... 23
- Cheliped dactylus similar in length to fixed finger plus palm.................................................. 25
23 Cheliped merus extends nearly full length of carpus, dactylus lacking series of spiniform setae along cutting surface........
.......................................................................................... Poorea nobbi - Cheliped merus extends half length of carpus, dactylus with series of spiniform setae along cutting surface.............. 24
24 Cheliped fixed finger with square process proximal on cutting edge, antennule with eight articles......... Poorea johannesi
- Cheliped fixed finger with two rounded apophyses, antennule with ten articles.......................... Poorea wrighti
25 Cheliped propodus ventrally with single apophysis on fixed finger.............................................. 26
- Cheliped propodus with mid-ventral rounded apophysis as well as ventro-distal apophysis on fixed finger; carpus without ven- tro-distal apophysis................................................................ Pseudoleptochelia straddi
26 Cheliped carpus with rounded apophysis on ventro-distal corner, merus with four setae............... Parakonarus fairgo
- Cheliped carpus with on slight undulation in distal margin, merus with at least eight setae.......... Parakonarus robertsoni
description: Published as part of Edgar, Graham J., 2012, New Leptocheliidae (Crustacea: Tanaidacea: Tanaidomorpha) from Australian seagrass and macro-algal habitats, and a redescription of the poorly-known Leptochelia ignota from Sydney Harbour, pp. 1-37 in Zootaxa 3276 on pages 35-36, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.212118