Keywords

6.1 Introduction

Although there is uncertainty about the proper status of the Epicaridea (see Brandt and Poore 2003; Boyko et al. 2013), it is here handled as an infraorder of the suborder Cymothoida of the order Isopoda, in accordance with the presentation of the online catalog WoRMS. All epicarideans are parasites of other crustaceans, their larvae usually infesting copepods and adults found on cirripedes and malacostracans. By far the most specious and widespread family is the Bopyridae, with just over 600 currently described species worldwide out of a total of about 700 epicaridean species. All bopyrids are ectoparasites, of calanoid copepods as larvae and of decapods as adults. Species in other families parasitize a great diversity of crustaceans, most externally, but several also internally. With very few exceptions, epicarideans are marine, and they are rarely found deeper than 200 m in any part of the oceans. An exception is the dajid genus Holophryxus , all of species of which, including two covered herein, are known only from depths greater than 200 m. For reasons not determined, the number of species of bopyrids in the eastern Pacific from Alaska to Chile is far smaller than the number of potential host species would suggest (see Markham 1992), with whole subfamilies rare or absent. Nonetheless, two monotypic subfamilies, Phyllodurinae in shallow water (Markham 1977b) and Bathygyginae in deep water (Markham 2016), are known primarily from the eastern Pacific.

In this tabulation of epicaridean species from depths of 200 m or more in the western north Atlantic (including Bermuda and the Gulf of Mexico) and the eastern north Pacific (including Hawaii), the total number of identified species is 36; the totals by family are Bopyridae 24, Colypuridae 1, Cryptoniscidae 1, Dajidae 9, and Entophilidae 1. Half of all species considered, 18, are in the bopyrid subfamily Pseudioninae, whose hosts are primarily anomurans, in this case mostly munidids, but also some carideans found only in deeper waters.

Many of the species listed are known from only their type-specimens and type-localities. This is the case with nine bopyrid species and several of the species described by Harriet Richardson in various cited references. Furthermore, the descriptions H. Richardson presented are far less complete than desired, though all of her type-specimens evidently are still extant in the collections of the Smithsonian Institution, so redescriptions would be possible. For example, Butler (1964) redescribed the types of Holophryxus alaskensis Richardson, 1905, in fine detail, identified its host for the first time, and entered two other species into its synonymy. For species described in H. Richardson’s papers, I have converted the recorded depths from fathoms to meters and, as necessary, supplemented collection data from other sources, such as station-logs of the cruises and ships cited in the descriptions, which are accessible online.

6.2 Material and Methods

Names of the epicaridean species have been updated as needed, with all published synonyms indicated. Names of the host species have also been updated as needed. The authority consulted for the current validity of names of both the epicarideans and their hosts is the online catalog World Register of Marine Species, WoRMS (WoRMS Editorial Board 2019). Genera and species are ordered alphabetically within their respective higher taxa, while families and subfamilies are presented in order from those considered to be closest to the ancestral forms to those considered more derived.

6.3 Results

6.3.1 Systematic Section

  • Infraorder Epicaridea Latreille, 1825

  • Superfamily Bopyroidea Rafinesque, 1815

  • Family Bopyridae Rafinesque, 1815

  • Subfamily Pseudioninae Codreanu, 1967

  1. 1.

    Anuropodione carolinensis Markham, 1974

Type-locality. Off coast of North Carolina, USA, West Atlantic, 35°05′N, 75°11.5′W, 220–260 m. Host: Munida iris A. Milne-Edwards, 1880. References: Williams and Brown (1972), Markham (1974a). Other localities. Norfolk Canyon, off coast of North Carolina, USA, West Atlantic, 36°56′ to 37°09′N, 75°09′ to 74°33′W and 36°36′ to 37°09′N, 75°06′ to 74°33′W, 83–662 m. Host: Munida iris. Reference: Wenner and Windsor (1979). Range outside of region. Potiguar Basin, Brazil. Host: Munida iris. Reference: Alves-Júnior et al. (2019).

  1. 2.

    Aporobopyrina anomala Markham, 1974

Type-locality. Off coast of Colombia , Caribbean, 12°40′N, 72°00′W, 620- M. erinaceus 660 m. Host: Munida valida Smith, 1883. Reference: Markham (1974a). Other localities. Northwest Gulf of Mexico, 27°38′N, 95°22′N, 490–640 m, and 27°35′N, 95°23′W, 730 m. Host: M. valida. South of Marquesas Keys, Florida, USA, Gulf of Mexico, 24°07′N, 82°00′W, 686–715 m. Host: M. valida. South of Dry Tortugas, Florida USA, Gulf of Mexico, 24°12′N, 82°50′W, 622 m. Host: M. valida. Reference: Markham (1974a). Northern Gulf of Mexico, 27°22′ to 29°17′N, 87°47′ to 91°16′W, 185–770 m. Host: M. valida . Reference: Adkison and Collard (1990). Range outside of region. None known.

  1. 3.

    Bathione magnafolia Román-Contreras and Boyko, 2007

Type-locality. Southern Gulf of California, Mexico, 24°53′N, 108°59′W, 835–870 m. Host: Munidopsis depressa Faxon, 1893. Reference: Román-Contreras and Boyko (2007). Range outside of region. None known.

  1. 4.

    Galathocrypta acaudata Román-Contreras and Soto, 2002

Type-locality. Southwest Gulf of Mexico, 18°54′N, 94°18′W, 502 m. Host: Munidopsis erinaceus (A. Milne-Edwards, 1880). Reference: Román-Contreras and Soto (2002). Possible other records. [As “Pseudione sp.”] Southern Caribbean. Host: M. erinaceus. Reference: Mayo (1974). [As “Bopyrid”]. Southern Gulf of Mexico. Host: M. erinaceus. Reference: Vázquez-Bader and Gracia (2016). Range outside of region. None known.

  1. 5.

    Goleathopseudione bilobata Román-Contreras, 2008

Type-locality. Off coast of California , USA, Pacific, 34°45′N, 123°04′W, 4100 m. Host: Munidopsis beringanus Benedict, 1902. Reference: Román-Contreras (2008). Range outside of region. None known.

  1. 6.

    Munidion cubense Bourdon, 1972

Type-locality. Bahía de Cochinos , Cuba, 22°13′N, 81°10′W, 230–390 m. Host: Munida stimpsoni A. Milne-Edwards, 1880. Reference: Bourdon (1972). Other locality. Near Península de Paraguaná, Venezuela, Caribbean, 11°40′N, 69°22′W, 134–161 m. Host: Munida flinti Benedict, 1902. Reference: Markham (1975). Range outside of region. None known. [Described as Munidion parvum cubensis Bourdon, 1972].

  1. 7.

    Munidion irritans Boone, 1927

Type-locality. North of Glover Reef, Belize, Caribbean, 16°N, 88°W, 670 m. Host: Munida irrasa A. Milne Edwards, 1880. Reference: Boone (1927). Other localities. Along southeast Florida, USA, Atlantic, 24°12′ to 24°48′N, 80°26′ to 80°46′W, 90–620 m. Host: M. irrasa. Reference: Markham (1975). Hudson Canyon to Norfolk Canyon, off Virginia, USA, Atlantic, 37–40°N, 72–74°W, >200 m. Host: Munida iris. Reference: Bursey (1978). Range outside of region. None known.

  1. 8.

    Munidion longipedis Markham, 1975

Type-locality. East coast of Florida , Atlantic, 25°45′ to 29°59′N, 79°49′to 80°11′W, 70–330 m. Host: Agononida longipes (A. Milne-Edwards, 1880). Reference: Markham (1975). Other localities. Isla de Providencia to Dry Tortugas, Florida USA, Southeast Gulf of Mexico, 13°37′N, 81°51′W to 24°18′N, 82°54′W, 330–460 m. Host: M. longipes. Reference: Markham (1975). Norfolk Canyon, off Virginia, USA, Atlantic, 37°N, 75°W, ca 200 m. Host: M. longipes. Reference: Wenner and Windsor (1979). Range outside of region. None known.

  1. 9.

    Munidion parvum Richardson, 1904

Type-locality. Straits of Juan de Fuca , Washington, USA, Pacific, 48°20′N, 123°30′W, 278 m. Host: Munida quadrispina Benedict, 1902. References: Richardson (1904), Markham (1975). Possible other record. [As “Munidon (sic) parvum/Pseudione galacanthae”]. Sechelt Peninsula, British Columbia, Canada, Pacific, 50°N, 124°W, depth unspecified. Host: unidentified munidid. Reference: Lamb and Hanby (2005). Range outside of region. None known.

  1. 10.

    Munidion princeps Hansen, 1897

Type-locality. Near Malpelo Island , Pacific. 03°58′N, 81°36′W, 205 m. Host: Munida refulgens Faxon, 1893. References: Hansen (1897), Markham (1975). Range outside of region. None known.

  1. 11.

    Paragigantione americana (Markham, 1974)

Type-locality. Off coast of Guyana , Atlantic, 08°40′N, 57°38′W, 1220–1440 m. Host: Munida microphthalma A. Milne-Edwards, 1880. Reference: Markham (1974a). Other locality. Norfolk Canyon, off Virginia, USA, Atlantic, 36°56′ to 37°09′N, 75°06′ to 74°33′W, 1408–1698 m. Host: M. microphthalma. Reference: Wenner and Windsor (1979). Range outside of region. None known. [Described as Bonnieria americana Markham, 1974].

  1. 12.

    Parapleurocryptella elasmonoti Bourdon, 1972

Type-locality. Martinique, Caribbean , 14°29′N, 61°06′W, 349 m. Host: Munidopsis squamosus (A. Milne-Edwards, 1880). Reference: Bourdon (1972). Range outside of region. None known.

  1. 13.

    Pleurocryptella fimbriata Markham, 1974

Type-locality. Southwest of Jamaica , Caribbean, 17°27′N, 78°10′W, 605–665 m. Host: Munida constricta A. Milne Edwards, 1880. Reference: Markham (1974a). Other localities. South of Jamaica, Caribbean, 17°16′N, 77°48′W, 720 m; Bahía de Cochinos, Cuba, Caribbean, 22°07′N, 81°08′W, 400–500 m. Host: M. constricta. Reference: Markham (1974a). Range outside of region. None known.

  1. 14.

    Pleurocryptella wolffi Bourdon, 1972

Type locality. Gulf of Panamá , Pacific, 05°44′N, 79°20′W, 2950–3190 m. Host: Munidopsis antonii (Filhol, 1884). Reference: Bourdon (1972). Range outside of region. None known.

  1. 15.

    Pontobopyrus abyssorum Markham, 1979

Type-locality. Northwestern Atlantic , 38°04′ to 38°09′N, 70°26′ to 70°22′W, 3850 m. Host: Parapontophilus abyssi (Smith, 1884). Reference: Markham (1979). Range outside of region. None known.

  1. 16.

    Pseudione ampla Markham, 1988

Type-locality. Off Florida , USA, Gulf of Mexico, 24°33′N, 83°22′W, 366 m. Host: Heterocarpus ensifer A. Milne Edwards, 1881. Reference: Markham (1988). Range outside of region. None known.

  1. 17.

    Pseudione confusa maxillipedis Bourdon, 1972

Type-locality. Bahía de Cochinos , Cuba, Caribbean, 22°13′N, 81°10′W, 229–393 m. Host: Munida stimpsoni A. Milne Edwards, 1880. Reference: Bourdon (1972). Other locality. Punta Alegre, Cuba, Caribbean, 22°50′N, 78°55′N, 366 m. Host: M. stimpsoni. Reference: Bourdon (1972). St. Croix, US Virgin Islands, Caribbean, ca 17°44′N, 64°50′W, depth uncertain. Host: Munida sp. [Reported as Pseudione minimocrenulata Nierstrasz and Brender à Brandis (1931) pro parte, separated from that species by Kazmi and Boyko (2005)]. Reference: Nierstrasz and Brender à Brandis (1931). Range outside of region. None known.

  1. 18.

    Pseudione galacanthae Hansen, 1897

Type-locality. Off east side of Baja California , Mexico, Golfo de California, Mexico, 26°48′N, 110°45′W, 1571 m. Host: Galacantha diomedeae Faxon, 1893. Reference: Hansen (1897). Other localities. Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada, Pacific, ca 49°10′N, 123°57′W, depth unrecorded, and San Juan Islands, Washington, USA, Pacific, ca 48°30′N, 123°W, depth unrecorded. Host: Munida quadrispina J. E. Benedict, 1902. Reference: Fraser (1932). [Misidentified as Pseudione giardi Calman, 1898]. Strait of Georgia, British Columbia, Canada, Pacific, ca 49°18′N, 123°48′W, 157–448 m. Host: Munida sp. Reference: Nierstrasz and Brender à Brandis (1931). Range outside of region. Off east coast of Patagonia, Argentina, South Atlantic. Host: Munida rugosa (Fabricius, 1793). Reference: Richardson (1904). Falkland Islands, South Atlantic. Host: Munida gregaria (Fabricius, 1793). Reference: Rayner (1935). Golfo de Penas and Magallanes, Chile, South Pacific. Host: Munida gregaria. Reference: Stuardo et al. (1986). Off Arica, Chile, South Pacific. Host: Galacantha diomedeae. Reference: Pardo et al. (2009). Golfo de San Jorge, Argentina, South Atlantic. Host: Munida gregaria. Reference: Varisco and Vinuesa (2011).

  1. 19.

    Pseudione sp. or spp., western Atlantic

Known localities. South of Jamaica , 17°21′N, 77°35′W, 805–1089 m. Host: Munidopsis abbreviata (A. Milne Edwards, 1880). Reference: Mayo (1974). Off Guadeloupe, Caribbean, 16°06′N, 61°22–24′W, 531–733 m. Host: M. alaminos Pequegnat and Pequegnat, 1970. Reference: Mayo (1974). Florida Straits, Atlantic, 24°28–51′N, 79°52′–80°16′W, 802–805 m. Host: M. longimanus (A. Milne Edwards, 1880). Reference: Mayo (1974). Off Campeche, Campeche, Mexico, Gulf of Mexico, ca 20°N, 71°W, depth unspecified. Host: M. nitida (A. Milne Edwards, 1880). Reference: Salazar-Vallejo and Leija-Tristán (1989). Off Caribbean coast of Colombia, and off Guadeloupe, Caribbean, 11°30–34′N, 73°23–26′W, 507–531 m. Host: M. riveroi Chace, 1939. Reference: Mayo (1974), Florida Straits, Gulf of Mexico, 24°24′N, 80°52′W, 512 m. Host: M. robusta (A. Milne Edwards, 1880). Reference: Mayo (1974). Straits of Florida, 25°17–36′N, 79°40–45′W, 570–824 m; and north coast of Cuba, Gulf of Mexico 23°24′N, 80°11′W, 677–1107 m; and south of Jamaica, Caribbean. Host: M. serricornis (Lovén, 1852). Reference: Mayo (1974).

  1. 20.

    Unidentified Pseudioninae, western Atlantic.

Known localities. Norfolk Canyon , off Virginia, USA, Atlantic, 36°56′ to 37°09′N, 75°06′ to 74°33′W, 1876–2427 m. Host: Galacantha rostrata A. Milne-Edwards, 1880. Reference: Wenner and Windsor (1979). Venezuela Basin, Caribbean, 13°34′N, 64°47′W, 3517–3549 m. Hosts: Munidopsis crassa Smith, 1885, and M. geyeri Pequegnat and Pequegnat (1970). Reference: Gore (1983). Off Cuba, ca 25°N, 80°W, ca 800 m. Host: M. longimanus. Reference: Chace (1942). Southern Gulf of Mexico. Hosts: M. alaminos and M. robusta. Reference: Vázquez-Bader and Gracia (2016).

  1. 21.

    Unidentified Pseudioninae, eastern Pacific

Known locality. Guaymas Basin, Mexico, 27°29′N, 111°24′W, depth uncertain. Host: Galacantha diomedeae. References: Luke (1977), Wicksten (2012).

  • Subfamily Argeiinae Markham, 1977

  1. 22.

    Argeia atlantica Markham, 1977

Type-locality. Tongue of the Ocean , Bahamas, Atlantic, 23°54′N, 77°12′W, 1298–1335 m. Host: Metacrangon jacqueti (A. Milne-Edwards, 1881). Reference: Markham (1977a). Other localities. Southeast of Newfoundland, Canada, Atlantic, 42°59′N, 51°15′W, 1100 m. Host: M. jacqueti. References: Sivertsen and Holthuis (1956); Markham (1977a). Middle Atlantic Bight, off Virginia, USA. Atlantic, ca 37°N, 75°W, 452–2679 m. Host: M. jacqueti. Reference: Wenner (1978). Range outside of region. Coast of China, West Pacific. Host: Crangon affinis de Haan, 1849. Reference: An et al. (2008).

  1. 23.

    Parargeia ornata Hansen, 1897

Type-locality. Off Acapulco , Mexico, Pacific, 16°33′N, 99°52′W, 1460–1650 m. Host: Metacrangon procax (Faxon, 1893). Reference: Hansen (1897). Range outside of region. None known.

  • Subfamily Bathygyginae Markham, 2016

  1. 24.

    Bathygyge grandis Hansen, 1897

Type-locality. Off Acapulco , Mexico, Pacific, 16°33′N, 99°52′W, 1460–1650 m. Host: Glyphocrangon spinulosa Faxon, 1896. Reference: Hansen (1897). Other localities. Middle Atlantic Bight, off Virginia USA, Atlantic, ca 37°N, 75°W, 452–2679 m. Hosts: Glyphocrangon sculpta (Smith, 1882) and G. longirostris (Smith, 1882). Reference: Wenner (1978). Magellan Rise, Northeast Pacific, 07°05′N, 176°55′W, 3100 m. Host unspecified. Reference: Kaufmann et al. (1989). San Clemente Basin, off California, USA, Pacific, 32°28′N, 118°08′W, 1782 m. Host: Glyphocrangon vicaria Faxon, 1897. Reference: Markham (2016). Range outside of region. Off Cape Point, South Africa, South Atlantic Host: Glyphocrangon sculpta [possibly actually an undescribed species of Bathygyge]. Reference: Stebbing (1906). Off coast of China, western Pacific. Host: Glyphocrangon sp. [possibly actually an undescribed species of Bathygyge]. Reference: An et al. (2007).

  • Subfamily Athelginae Codreanu & Codreanu, 1956

  1. 25.

    Anathelges hyphalus (Markham, 1974)

Type-locality. Channel Islands, California, Pacific, 33°46′ to 33°18′N, 118°22′ to 118°33′W, 95319 m. Host: Parapagurodes laurentae McLaughlin and Haig, 1973. Reference: Markham (1974b). Other localities. Off Carmel, California USA, Pacific, 36°27′N, 122°00′W, 141 m. Host: P. makarovi McLaughlin & Haig, 1973. Near Punta de Abreoja, Baja California Sur, Mexico, Pacific, 26°17′N, 113°41′W, 99 m. Host: P. laurentae. Islas de San Benito, Baja California, Mexico, Pacific, 28°13′N, 115°34′W, 115–179 m. Host: P. makarovi. Reference: Markham (1974b). Range outside of region. None known. [Described as Stegophryxus hyphalus Markham, 1974].

  1. 26.

    Parathelges tumidipes Markham, 1972

Type-locality. Southwest of Jamaica , Caribbean, 17°09′N, 78°57′W, 26 m. Host: Dardanus fucosus Biffar and Provenzano. Reference: Markham (1972). Other localities. South of Bermuda, Atlantic, 32°17′N, 64°43′W, ca 200 m. Host: Allodardanus bredini Haig and Provenzano, 1965. Reference: Markham (1978). Belize, Caribbean, ca 17°N, 88°W, shallow water. Hosts: Calcinus tibicen (Herbst, 1791), Clibanarius tricolor Gibbes, 1850, and C. vittatus Bosc, 1802. Reference: Boyko and Williams (2016). Range outside of region. None known.

  • Subfamily Hemiarthrinae Markham, 1972

  1. 27.

    Hemiarthrus nematocarcini Stebbing, 1914

Type-locality (outside of region). Off South Africa , southern Atlantic. Host: Nematocarcinus longirostris Bate, 1888. Reference: Stebbing (1914). Other locality (within the region). Norfolk Canyon, off Virginia USA, Atlantic, 36°56′ to 37°09′N, ca 75°W, 1430–3083 m. Host: Nematocarcinus ensifer (S.I. Smith, 1882). Reference: Wenner (1979). Range outside of region. Chatham Rise, southeast of New Zealand, southern Pacific. Host: Campylonotus rathbunae Schmitt, 1926. Reference: Page (1985).

  • Family Colypuridae Richardson, 1905

  1. 28.

    Colypurus agassizi Richardson, 1905

Type-locality. Off Punta Mariato, Panamá , Pacific, 06°36′N, 81°44′W, 1063 m. Host unknown. Reference: Richardson (1905b). Range outside of region. None known.

  • Superfamily Cryptoniscoidea Kossmann, 1880

  • Family Cryptoniscidae Kossmann, 1880

  1. 29.

    Zeuxokoma setosa (Nierstrasz and Brender à Brandis, 1930)

Type-locality. Central California USA, Pacific, 38°17′N, 123°29′W, 305 m. Host: Spirontocaris holmesi Holthuis, 1947. References: Nierstrasz and Brender à Brandis (1930), Boyko (2015). Range outside of region. None known. [Described as Faba setosa Nierstrasz and Brender à Brandis, 1930].

  • Family Dajidae Giard and Bonnier, 1887

  1. 30.

    Arthrophryxus beringanus Richardson, 1908

Type-locality. Coast of British Columbia, Canada, Pacific. 53°53′N, 144°53′W, 4023 m. Host: unknown. Reference: Richardson (1908a). Range outside of region. None known.

  1. 31.

    Colophryxus novangliae Richardson, 1908

Type-locality. Off Long Island , New York, USA, Atlantic. 39°00′N, 72°04′W, 1293 m. Host: unknown. Reference: Richardson (1908b). Range outside of region. None known.

  1. 32.

    Holophryxus acanthephyrae Stephensen, 1912

Type-locality. Davis Strait, between Canada and Greenland, North Atlantic, 60°07′N, 48°26′W, depth unrecorded, probably ca 1000 m. Host: Acanthephyra pelagica (Risso, 1816). Reference: Stephensen (1912). Range outside of region. South of England, northeast Atlantic. Host: A. pelagica. Reference. Jones and Smaldon (1986). East of New Zealand, southern Pacific. Host: Acanthephyra pelagica. Reference: Wasmer (1988). Rocas Atoll, Brazil, south Atlantic. Host: A. acanthitelsonis Spence Bate, 1888. Reference: Alves-Júnior et al. (2018). [As Isophryxus concavus Schultz, 1977]. Antarctic Ocean. Host: probably A. pelagica. Reference: Schultz (1977).

  1. 33.

    Holophryxus alaskensis Richardson, 1905

Type-locality. Revillagigedo Island, Alexander Archipelago , Alaska, USA, Pacific, 56°N, 131°W, 274–512 m. Host: Pasiphaea pacifica Rathbun, 1902. References: Richardson (1905a), Butler (1964). Other localities. Granby Bay, Strait of Georgia and west coast of Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada, Pacific, ca 49°24′N to 55°24′N,123°54′N to 129°49′W, 77–198 m. Host: P. pacifica, where known. Reference: Butler (1964). [As Holophryxus californiensis Richardson, 1908]. Santa Barbara Channel, California, USA, Pacific, ca 34°15′N, 119°50′W, 512 m. Host: unknown. References: Richardson (1908a); Butler (1964). Near Seattle, Washington, USA, Pacific, ca 47°30′N, 122°20′W, 183–512 m. Host: P. pacifica. References: Richardson (1908a), Butler (1964). [As Hypodajus georgiensis Nierstrasz and Brender à Brandis, 1931]. Strait of Georgia, British Columbia, Canada, Pacific, ca. 49°N, 124°W, ca 200 m. Host: unidentified pasiphaeid. References: Nierstrasz and Brender à Brandis (1931), Butler (1964). Range outside of region. None known.

  1. 34.

    Oculophryxus bicaulis Shields and Gómez-Gutiérrez, 1996

Type-locality. Off Baja California , Mexico, Pacific, 20°13′ to 28°52′N, 112°23′ to 117°48′W, to 210 m. Host: Stylocheiron affine Hansen, 1910. Reference: Shields and Gómez-Gutiérrez (1996). Range outside of region. South China Sea, western Pacific. Host: S. affine. Reference: Gómez-Gutiérrez and Shields (1998).

  1. 35.

    Prophryxus alascensis Richardson, 1909

Type-locality. Goletus Channel , British Columbia, Canada, Pacific, 53°05′N, 138°31′W, 3658 m. Host unknown. Reference: Richardson (1909). Range outside of region. None known.

  1. 36.

    Zonophryxus retrodens Richardson, 1903

Type-locality. South of Oahu, Hawaii , Pacific, ca 21°20′N, 158°W, ca 300 m. Host unknown. Reference: Richardson (1903). Range outside of region. None known.

  1. 37.

    Zonophryxus similis Richardson, 1914

Type-locality. Off Punta Mariato, Panamá , Pacific, 06°36′N, 81°44′W, 1063 m. Host unknown. Reference: Richardson (1914). Range outside of region. None known.

  1. 38.

    Zonophryxus sp.

Known localities. California Bight , off California, USA, Pacific, 32°35′N, 117°55′W to 33°59′N, 118°43′W, 98–305 m. Hosts: Pantomus affinis Chace, 1973, and Plesionika trispinus Squires and Barragán, 1976. Reference: Montagne and Cadien (2001). Range outside of region. None known.

  • Family Entophilidae Richardson, 1903

  1. 39.

    Entophilus omnitectus Richardson, 1903

Type-locality. Between Maui and Molokai, Hawaii, Pacific, 20°57′N, 156°41′W, ca 300 m. Host: Agononida normani (Henderson, 1885). Reference: Richardson (1903). Other localities. Palolo Channel, Hawaii, Pacific, 21°04′N, 156°42′W, to 258 m. Host: A. normani. Reference: Richardson (1903). Northern Gulf of Mexico, 27°22′ to 29°17′N, 85°52′ to 93°31′W, 185–850 m. Hosts. Munida valida S. I. Smith, 1883, and M. microphthalma. Reference: Adkison and Collard (1990). Range outside of region. Madagascar, Indian Ocean. Host: Agononida incerta (Henderson, 1888). Reference: Bourdon (1976). Chesterfield Islands, southwestern Pacific. Host: A. “incerta”. Reference: Markham (1994).

6.4 Conclusions

A thorough review of previous records of epicarid isopods from deep water around North and Central America allows for the listing of 39 species, 4 of these unidentified. Most species (27) belong to the Bopyridae with 17 genera, including five species of Munidion and at least four species of Pseudione. Other families are the Colypuridae (1 sp.), the Cryptoniscidae (1 sp.), the Dajidae (9 spp.), and the Entophilidae (1 sp.).

Markham (1986) reported on the evolution and zoogeography of Bopyridae stating that 469 species had been described worldwide at that time. In a more recent review, Williams and Boyko (2012) estimated the number of epicarideans isopods (Bopyroidea and Cryptoniscoidea) at 794 species: 605 Bopyridae and 99 Cryptoniscoidea. Bopyrids were more diverse in the NW Pacific, while cryptoniscoids were more diverse in the NE Atlantic (Williams and Boyko 2012).

Of the 35 identified species, about half (17) were described in 1930 or earlier and the rest after 1972. Epicarid isopods of the area infest a wide variety of hosts, including euphausiids of the genus Stylocheiron; caridean shrimps of the genera Acanthephyra, Campylonotus, Crangon, Glyphocrangon, Heterocarpus, Parapontophilus, Pasiphaea, Metacrangon, Nematocarcinus, and Spirontocaris; hermit crabs of the genera Clibanarius, Dardanus, and Parapagurodes; and squat lobsters of the genera Agononida, Munida, Munidopsis, and Galacantha.