Kergueleniolidae fam. nov.

Type genus. Kergueleniola Ruffo, 1974 b.

Diagnostic description. Body vermiform. Eyes absent. Antennae 1–2 calceoli absent. Antenna 1 longer than antenna 2; peduncular article 1 longer than article 2; peduncular articles 1–2 not geniculate; accessory flagellum present. Antenna 2 peduncular article 1 enlarged, bulbous. Mandible molar present; palp symmetrical. Maxilla 1 basal endite apically setose; palps symmetrical. Maxilla 2 basal endite without oblique setal row. Coxal gills on pereopods 2–6, stalked (with proximal restriction or complete suture) or not stalked; sternal gills absent; sternal blisters absent; oostegites fringing setae simple. Gnathopod 1 subchelate; similar in size to gnathopod 2; propodus palm without robust setae along palmar margin. Gnathopod 2 subchelate; similar in males and females (not sexually dimorphic); carpus not produced along posterior margin of propodus, projecting between merus and propodus. Pereopods 3–4 not sexually dimorphic. Pereopod 4 without posteroventral lobe. Pereopod 5 coxa with small anteroventral lobe. Pleonites 1–3 without dorsal carinae. Urosomites 1–3 free; without slender or robust dorsal setae. Urosomite 1, large distoventral robust seta [unknown]. Uropod 1 without basofacial robust setae. Uropod 3 biramous, without plumose setae; endopod subequal in length to exopod. Telson moderately cleft; dorsal or lateral robust setae absent; apical robust setae absent.

Habitat. Freshwater, epigean.

Included genera. Kergueleniolidae includes 1 genus: Kergueleniola Ruffo, 1974 b.

Remarks. Koenemann & Holsinger (1999) expelled Kergueleniola from the Bogidiellidae because it had: cleft telson without robust setae; pleopods 1–3 with subequal, 1–articulate rami; gnathopod 1 carpus without distal lobe; and mandibular palp with row of subapical setae (C-setae). They listed other character differences such as; ‘the unusually shaped palp of the maxilliped, the long, rounded epimeral plates, and the armature and shape of the mandibles and uropods’. For us the kergueleniolids form a distinct family-level taxon based on the vermiform body with discontiguous coxae, subequal rami on uropod 3 and moderately cleft telson .

Distribution. Kerguelen Island.