A tanaid (Leptognathia paramanca)

Distribution data supplied by the Ocean Biodiversity Information System (OBIS). To interrogate UK data visit the NBN Atlas.Map Help

Summary

Description

Tanaids are similar in appearance to isopods (sea slaters) except that the first pair of walking legs are chelate. Leptognathia paramanca is a rarely seen species found in soft sediments in shallow waters. While only reaching around 2 mm in length, Leptognathia paramanca, has a rather long and slender appearance, even by tanaid standards, owing to the unusually long pleonites. The females lack pleopods.

Recorded distribution in Britain and Ireland

Recorded from the Orkney Islands, Isle of Man and Northern Ireland.

Global distribution

Leptognathia paramanca has only been recorded from Northern France outside of British waters.

Habitat

Like many tanaid species Leptognathia paramanca is found in soft sediments. Leptognathia paramanca has been reported in shell-sand at 45-65 m depth and in muddy sand with gravel and shell at 30 m depth where it probably lives in burrows in the top most layer of sediment.

Depth range

-

Identifying features

  • Long, narrow body shape.
  • Uniramous uropods (exopod absent).
  • Pleopods absent in females.
  • Relatively long pleonites.

Additional information

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Listed by

- none -

Bibliography

    Datasets

    1. NBN (National Biodiversity Network) Atlas. Available from: https://www.nbnatlas.org.

    2. OBIS (Ocean Biodiversity Information System),  2024. Global map of species distribution using gridded data. Available from: Ocean Biogeographic Information System. www.iobis.org. Accessed: 2024-03-28

    Citation

    This review can be cited as:

    Hosie, A.M. 2008. Leptognathia paramanca A tanaid. In Tyler-Walters H. and Hiscock K. Marine Life Information Network: Biology and Sensitivity Key Information Reviews, [on-line]. Plymouth: Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom. [cited 28-03-2024]. Available from: https://www.marlin.ac.uk/species/detail/2232

    Last Updated: 14/10/2008