Genus Tumidochelia Knight, Larsen & Heard, 2003

Type species.

Tumidochelia randyi Knight, Larsen & Heard, 2003.

Diagnosis.

See Larsen and Shimomura (2007)

Gender.

Feminine.

Remarks.

The genus Tumidochelia is a much rarer genus than Collettea, but is fairly well defined by the combination of a large cheliped carpus shield and a biramous uropod with an additional spiniform distal process on inner margin of the basal article. The genus is encountered both in fairly shallow water around 100 meters (G.O. Sars 1896) and at abyssal depths below 5000 meters (this study). It currently consists of five species including the one described herein.

The mouthparts of this genus are remarkably small relative to the size of the whole animal. When compared to a specimen of the genus Tanais or most other shallow-water tanaidomorphans of a similar body size, the differences in the size of the mouthparts are several hundred percent.

Species currently assigned to this genus.

Tumidochelia dentifera (G.O. Sars, 1896); Tumidochelia knighti Larsen and Shimomura, 2007; Tumidochelia randyi Knight, Larsen & Heard, 2003; Tumidochelia tuberculata sp. n.; Tumidochelia uncinata (Hansen, 1913).