Thamnocephalidae
Encyclopedia
Thamnocephalidae is a family of crustacean
s with wide distribution including Western Australia
and Southern Africa
. It was originally described as a subfamily of Branchipodidae
by Alpheus Spring Packard
in 1883, and elevated to the rank of family
by Simon in 1886. Six genera are recognised, in two subfamilies:
Thamnocephalinae
Branchinellinae
Crustacean
Crustaceans form a very large group of arthropods, usually treated as a subphylum, which includes such familiar animals as crabs, lobsters, crayfish, shrimp, krill and barnacles. The 50,000 described species range in size from Stygotantulus stocki at , to the Japanese spider crab with a leg span...
s with wide distribution including Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
and Southern Africa
Southern Africa
Southern Africa is the southernmost region of the African continent, variably defined by geography or geopolitics. Within the region are numerous territories, including the Republic of South Africa ; nowadays, the simpler term South Africa is generally reserved for the country in English.-UN...
. It was originally described as a subfamily of Branchipodidae
Branchipodidae
Branchipodidae is a family of fairy shrimp. It consists of the following five genera:*Branchipodopsis G. O. Sars, 1898*Branchipus Schaeffer, 1766*Metabranchipus Masi, 1925*Pumilibranchipus Hamer & Brendonck, 1995...
by Alpheus Spring Packard
Alpheus Spring Packard
Alpheus Spring Packard, LL.D. was an American entomologist and palaeontologist. He was the son of Alpheus Spring Packard, Sr. and the brother of William Alfred Packard. He was born in Brunswick, Maine and was Professor of Zoology and Geology at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island from...
in 1883, and elevated to the rank of family
Family (biology)
In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...
by Simon in 1886. Six genera are recognised, in two subfamilies:
Thamnocephalinae
- Thamnocephalus Packard, 1879
- Carinophallus Rogers, 2006
Branchinellinae
- DendrocephalusDendrocephalusDendrocephalus is a genus of fairy shrimp found in South and North America. It is characterised by the presence of an antenna-like appendage arising between the second antennae and the eyestalks...
Daday, 1908 - Phallocryptus Birabén, 1951
- Spiralifrons Dixon, 2010
- BranchinellaBranchinellaBranchinella is a crustacean genus in the family Thamnocephalidae. This fairy shrimp genus is found across many parts of the world, but especially western Australia and southern Africa....
Sayce, 1903