AXIIDAE Huxley, 1879

Ngoc-Ho, Nguyen, 2003, European and Mediterranean Thalassinidea (Crustacea, Decapoda), Zoosystema 25 (3), pp. 439-555 : 446

Family AXIIDAE Huxley, 1879

TYPE GENUS. — Axius Leach, 1815 , by original designation.

REMARKS

Recent major works dealing with axiids include: Sakai & de Saint Laurent 1989; Kensley 1989; Poore 1994 (as part of the phylogeny of the Thalassinidea families); Sakai 1994.

Examination of European materials supports the view of Kensley (1989) and Poore (1994) rather than those of Sakai & de Saint Laurent (1989) and Sakai (1994) in resurrecting the family Calocariidae Ortmann, 1891 . In this family of hermaphrodites, the appendix masculina is presumably fused to the median portion of the Plp2 endopod which is densely setose or spinose mesially. The distal portion of the Plp2 endopod is large, and similar to that of the exopod, in Calocaris macandreae ( Fig. 7D ); it is less defined in Calastacus laevis ( Fig. 5I ).

This work does not give as much importance as did Sakai & de Saint Laurent (1989) to the thoracic sternite of P4 since its morphology does not vary much in the species studied, except for the presence of a spine on the lateral border ( Fig.1I ), and in its size. These are indicated in the diagnosis.

A species probably not belonging to the European fauna but often mentioned in the past, Coralaxius nodulosus ( Meinert, 1877) (better known as Axius nodulosus Meinert, 1877 ), is briefly treated.

Figures

FIG. 7. — Calocaris macandreae Bell, 1846, hermaphroditic, from Banyuls, France (MNHN Th 1320); A, lateral view, pereopod 3 and 4 omitted; B, maxilla; C-E, pleopod 1-3. Scale bars: 2 mm.

FIG. 5. — Calastacus laevis de Saint Laurent, 1972, holotype hermaphroditic from Northern Spain (MNHN Th 152) (figures from de Saint Laurent 1972); A, dorsal view; B, C, anterior part of carapace, dorsal and lateral view; D, E, pereopod 1 and 2; F, G, maxilliped 2 and 3; H-J, pleopod 1-3. Scale bars: 2 mm.

FIG. 1. — Axius stirhynchus Leach, 1815; A, young from Chausey, France (MNHN Th 1321), lateral view; B, C, E-H, J-M, from Pointe du Château, N of Tréguier, France (MNHN Th 1322); D, I, from Dinard,France (MNHN Th 151); B, C, right and left pereopod 1; D, anterior part of carapace; E, telson and uropods; F, G, maxillule and maxilla; H, mandible; I, thoracic sternite 4, ventral view; J, K, antennule and antenna; L, M, female pleopod 1-2. Scale bars: 2 mm.