Nymphonidae is a family of sea spiders which has representatives in all the oceans. This family contains some 250 species, most of which are found in the genus Nymphon. Nymphonid bodies are between 1 and 15 mm long, the extent between the points of the legs reaching 150 mm.[1] Most species are predators of hydroids. Like most sea spiders, species in this family have four pairs of legs, except for Pentanymphon antarcticum, which has five pairs,[2][3] and Sexanymphon mirabilis, which has six pairs.[4][5]
| Nymphonidae | |
|---|---|
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| The pycnogonid Nymphon leptocheles grazes on a hydroid Tubularia indivisa. | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
| Class: | Pycnogonida |
| Order: | Pantopoda |
| Suborder: | Eupantopodida |
| Superfamily: | Nymphonoidea |
| Family: | Nymphonidae |
| Genera | |
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Boreonymphon | |
| Diversity | |
| 7 genera, 250 species | |
Taxonomy
editSeven genera are currently recognized:[6]
- Boreonymphon Sars, 1888 (4 species)
- Bradypallene Kim & Hong, 1987 (1 species)
- Heteronymphon Gordon, 1932 (8 species)
- Neonymphon Stock, 1955 (1 species)
- Nymphon Fabricius, 1794 (> 250 species)
- Pentanymphon Hodgson, 1904 (1 species)
- Sexanymphon Hedgpeth & Fry, 1964 (1 species)
Selected species
edit- Nymphon gracile Leach, 1814
- Nymphon brevirostre Hodge, 1863
- Nymphon hirtum Kroyer, 1844
References
edit
Wikispecies has information related to Nymphonidae.
- ^ Nymphon stroemi at Marine Species Identification Portal.
- ^ Hodgson, T.V. (1904). "On a new pycnogonid from the south polar regions". Annals and Magazine of Natural History. 14 (84): 458–462. doi:10.1080/03745480409443036 – via Biodiversity Heritage Library.
- ^ Hedgpeth, Joel W. (1947). "On the evolutionary significance of the Pycnogonida". Smithsonian Miscellaneous Collections. 106 (18): 1–53 – via Smithsonian Research Online.
- ^ Hedgpeth, Joel W.; Fry, William G. (1964-03-01). "Another dodecopodous pycnogonid". Annals and Magazine of Natural History. 7 (75): 161–169. doi:10.1080/00222936408651451. ISSN 0374-5481.
- ^ Jayasree, V.; Sreepada, R. A.; Parulekar, A. H. (1993). "An unusual giant pycnogonid (Pycnogonida-Colossendeidae) Decolopoda qasimi sp. nov. from Antarctic waters". Current Science. 65 (2): 179–181 – via NIO Digital Repository Service.
- ^ Bamber, R.N., El Nagar, A. & Staples, D. (Eds) (2014). Pycnobase: World Pycnogonida Database. Accessed at http://www.marinespecies.org/pycnobase on 2014-10-30
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