Pycnogonida |
Pantopoda |
Phoxichilidiidae
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Benthic; depth range 0 - 6 m (Ref. 6). Tropical
Western Central Pacific: Philippines.
Length at first maturity / Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ? range ? - ? cmCommon length : 1.2 cm LS male/unsexed; (Ref. 6)
Trunk and appendages extremely attenuated and slender. Lateral processes separated by at least 3 to 4 times their diameters and as long as 3 times their diameters anteriorly; posterior processes shorter in length, armed with single distal setae or glabrous. Trunk completely segmented between very long tubular trunk segments. Ocular tubercle low, rounded, more broad than tall. Eyes large, placed distally. Proboscis cylindrical, constricted proximally and distally beyond midpoint. Lips flat. Abdomen slender truncate cone only twice as long as its diameter; armed with 2 or 3 distal setae. Chelifores very slender, with few short setae. Chelae slender; palm, rectangular, as long as fingers, which are well curved, overlapping at tips, armed with 3 sharp conical teeth on movable finger and 2 on immovable finger. Ovigers originating inswellings halfway along ventral surface of first lateral processes. Second and fourth segments subequal. Third segment almost twice as long, constricted proximally, all armed with few short setae. Fifth segment armed with two short blunt endal spines and four or five short ectal setae. Sixth segment very slender, almost as long as fifth, armed with four or five short setae. Legs extremely slender, armed with few short setae increasing in numbers distally, and single long dorsodistal seta on major segments. Femur longest segment, with 2 broad cement gland cups on low swellings on either side of femoral midpoint. Tarsus very short, with few setae. Propodus slender, slightly curved, with two large heel spines with 7 or 8 serrations on distal largest spine. Sole with 5 or 6 broad short spines proximal to very short distal propodal lamina. Several short setae flanking the sole and several on dorsal surface. Claw robust, fairly short, only slightly curved. Auxiliaries entirely lacking. Female slightly larger than male, with 2 hole spines only and longer main claw.
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Members of the class Pycnogonida are gonochoric and sexually dimorphic. During copulation, male usually suspends itself beneath the female. Fertilization occurs as the eggs leave the female's ovigers. Males brood the egg masses until they hatch. Life cycle: Eggs hatch into protonymphon larva then to adults.
Child, C.A. 1988. (Ref. 6)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435)
CITES status (Ref. 108899)
Not Evaluated
Not Evaluated
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
| FishSource |
Tools
More information
Age/SizeGrowthLength-weightLength-lengthMorphologyLarvaeAbundance
Internet sources
Estimates based on models
Price category
Unknown.
