Echinophthiriidae is a

family Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...

of lice in the suborder

Anoplura Sucking lice (Anoplura, formerly known as Siphunculata) have around 500 species and represent the smaller of the two traditional superfamilies of lice. As opposed to the paraphyletic chewing lice, which are now divided among three suborders, ...

, the sucking lice. This family of lice are

parasites Parasitism is a close relationship between species, where one organism, the parasite, lives on or inside another organism, the host, causing it some harm, and is adapted structurally to this way of life. The entomologist E. O. Wilson ha ...

of seals and the river otter, and are the only insects that infest aquatic hosts.Leonardi, M. S., et al. (2012)
Scanning electron microscopy of ''Antarctophthirus microchir'' (Phthiraptera: Anoplura: Echinophthiriidae): Studying morphological adaptations to aquatic life.
''Micron'' 43(3) 929-36. Antarctophthirus trichechi

These lice have adaptations influenced by the anatomy of their hosts. Because some marine mammals, such as

fur seal Fur seals are any of nine species of pinnipeds belonging to the subfamily Arctocephalinae in the family '' Otariidae''. They are much more closely related to sea lions than true seals, and share with them external ears (pinnae), relatively l ...

s, have a layer of air trapped under their waterproof coats that insulates them against cold water, their lice actually live in a mostly dry, warm habitat. Other mammals have blubber for insulation, so their skin is in contact with the water; their lice parasites live in a cold aquatic environment. Lice in this family have a

chaetotaxy Chaetotaxy is the arrangement of bristles (macrochaetae) on an arthropod or annelid, or taxonomy based on their position and size. For example, it is important in Diptera, in which group it was formalised by Ernst August Girschner. The term chaeto ...

characterized by three kinds of

seta In biology, setae (singular seta ; from the Latin word for " bristle") are any of a number of different bristle- or hair-like structures on living organisms. Animal setae Protostomes Annelid setae are stiff bristles present on the body. ...

e: spines, scales, and hairs. Different species have different arrangements of these setae. Species also have various egg-laying habits, with some laying them singly or in clusters, and some cementing them to the hairs of the host animal. These lice have antennae but no eyes. In most species the middle and rear pairs of legs are larger with blunt claws while the front pair of legs is smaller with pointed claws. Scanning electron microscope examination shows that the species ''Antarctophthirus microchir'' uses its larger middle and rear pairs of legs to cling to the hairs of its host, and the smaller, pointed front legs are probably sensory structures. Depending on species and temperature, the life cycle of one of these lice can take about 2 to 4 weeks. Each species tends to favor a different part of the host animal's body; for example, ''Antarctophthirus ogmirhini'' lives on the back flippers and tail and ''Lepidophthirus macrorhini'' favors the flippers, including the digits and the webbing between them. ''Proechinophthirus fluctus'' lives under the fur, while ''Antarctophthirus callorhini'' prefers parts with naked skin, such as the nostrils and eyelids of the host. Lice may serve as intermediate hosts or vectors for parasites of their hosts. ''Echinophthirius horridus'' is an intermediate host of ''Dipetalonema spirocauda'', a nematode parasite of harbour seals. There are 13 species classified in 5 genera. Taxa and their host animals include:Leonardi, M. S., et al. (2014)
''Antarctophthirus carlinii'' (Anoplura: Echinophthiriidae), a new species from the Weddell seal ''Leptonychotes weddelli''.
''Parasitology Research'' 1-5.Echinophthiriidae.
Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS). *Genus '' Antarctophthirus'' **'' Antarctophthirus callorhini'' (on fur seals) **'' Antarctophthirus carlinii'' (on the

Weddell seal The Weddell seal (''Leptonychotes weddellii'') is a relatively large and abundant true seal with a circumpolar distribution surrounding Antarctica. The Weddell seal was discovered and named in the 1820s during expeditions led by British seali ...

) **'' Antarctophthirus lobodontis'' (on

earless seal The earless seals, phocids or true seals are one of the three main groups of mammals within the seal lineage, Pinnipedia. All true seals are members of the family Phocidae (). They are sometimes called crawling seals to distinguish them from th ...

s) **'' Antarctophthirus mawsoni'' (on earless seals) **'' Antarctophthirus microchir'' (on

sea lion Sea lions are pinnipeds characterized by external ear flaps, long foreflippers, the ability to walk on all fours, short and thick hair, and a big chest and belly. Together with the fur seals, they make up the family Otariidae, eared seals. ...

s) **'' Antarctophthirus ogmirhini'' (on earless seals) **'' Antarctophthirus trichechi'' (on

walrus The walrus (''Odobenus rosmarus'') is a large flippered marine mammal with a discontinuous distribution about the North Pole in the Arctic Ocean and subarctic seas of the Northern Hemisphere. The walrus is the only living species in the fami ...

es) *Genus '' Echinophthirius'', one species: **'' Echinophthirius horridus'' (on earless seals) *Genus '' Latagophthirus'', one species: **'' Latagophthirus rauschi'' (on the river otter) *Genus '' Lepidophthirus'', two species on the river otter: **'' Lepidophthirus macrorhini'' **'' Lepidophthirus piriformis'' *Genus '' Proechinophthirus'', two species on fur seals and sea lions: **'' Proechinophthirus fluctus'' **'' Proechinophthirus zumpti''

References

Further reading