The Gnathiidae are a family of isopod crustaceans. They occur in a wide range of depths, from the littoral zone to the deep sea. The adults are associated with sponges and may not feed.[1] The juvenile form is known as a 'praniza', and it is a temporary parasite of marine fish.[1][2] These forms are not larvae; Gnathiidae instead become parasitic during the manca stage. Mancae of the Gnathiidae closely resemble the adult form, however they lack the final pair of pereiopods.
Gnathiidae | |
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Male (left), female (upper right), praniza (lower right) | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Arthropoda |
Class: | Malacostraca |
Superorder: | Peracarida |
Order: | Isopoda |
Suborder: | Cymothoida |
Superfamily: | Cymothooidea |
Family: | Gnathiidae Leach, 1814 |
Taxonomy in the family relies on male characters, such that females and juveniles cannot be reliably identified.[1] The family contains 182 species,[3] divided among the following genera:[4]
The extinct Jurassic genus Urda is thought to represent a stem-group to the family, and is suggested to have had a similar parasitic lifestyle.[5][6]