Monstrilloida
| Monstrilloida | |
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| File:Monstrilla longiremis.jpg | |
| Monstrilla longiremis | |
| Scientific classification | |
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| Phylum: | |
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| Order: |
Monstrilloida
G. O. Sars, 1901 [1]
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| Family: |
Monstrillidae
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Monstrilloida is an order of copepods with a cosmopolitan distribution in the world's oceans. The order contains a single family, Monstrillidae;[1] the family Thaumatopsyllidae was formerly included in the order, but is now usually placed in the Cyclopoida.[3] The taxonomy of the family is undergoing a period of revision,[4] although some necessary changes are apparent; for instance, the genus Strilloma is now considered a taxonomic synonym of Monstrilla, the largest genus.[5]
The order is poorly known, biologically and ecologically, although the life cycle is known to differ from that of all other copepods.[6] The larvae are parasites of benthic polychaetes and gastropods, while the adults are planktonic and incapable of feeding, functioning solely to reproduce.[7]
The family Monstrillidae is characterised by having a well-developed fourth pair of swimming legs, but a rudimentary or absent fifth pair. Adults have no oral appendages, and the mouth leads only to a short, blind pharynx. Females carry a long pair of spines to which the eggs are attached, while males have a "genital protuberance, which is provided with lappets"; in both sexes, the genitalia are very different from those of all other copepods.[8]
References
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