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Thompsoniidae
The Thompsoniidae are a family (biology), family of parasitism, parasitic barnacles belonging to the bizarre and highly Synapomorphy, apomorphic superorder Rhizocephala, and therein to the more diverse of the two order (biology), orders, the Akentrogonida. The Thompsoniidae are one of the smallish families of Rhizocephala, as typical for the Akentrogonida. They only contain four genera, of which two are not universally accepted: * ''Diplothylacus'' Høeg & Lützen, 1993 (disputed) * ''Pottsia (barnacle), Pottsia'' Høeg & Lützen, 1993 (disputed) * ''Thompsonia (crustacean), Thompsonia'' Häfele, 1911 * ''Thylacoplectus'' Coutière, 1902 References External links * Barnacles Parasitic crustaceans Crustacean families {{maxillopoda-stub ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Rhizocephala
Rhizocephala are derived barnacles that parasitise mostly decapod crustaceans, but can also infest Peracarida, mantis shrimps and thoracican barnacles, and are found from the deep ocean to freshwater. Together with their sister groups Thoracica and Acrothoracica, they make up the subclass Cirripedia. Their body plan is uniquely reduced in an extreme adaptation to their parasitic lifestyle, and makes their relationship to other barnacles unrecognisable in the adult form. The name Rhizocephala derives from the Ancient Greek roots (, "root") and (, "head"), describing the adult female, which mostly consists of a network of thread-like extensions penetrating the body of the host. Description and lifecycle As adults they lack appendages, segmentation, and all internal organs except gonads, a few muscles, and the remains of the nervous system. Females also have a cuticle, which is never shed. Other than the minute larval stages, there is nothing identifying them as crustaceans or ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |