Kairosidae

Myers, A, 2013, A Phylogeny and Classification of the Senticaudata subord. nov. (Crustacea: Amphipoda), Zootaxa 3610 (1), pp. 1-80 : 24-25

Kairosidae fam. nov.

Type genus. Kairos Krapp-Schickel & Müller, 2011 .

Diagnostic description. Body laterally compressed. Eyes well developed, round. Antennae 1–2 calceoli absent. Antenna 1 longer than antenna 2; peduncular article 1 subequal to article 2; article 2 longer than article 3; article 3 shorter than article 1; peduncular articles 1–2 not geniculate. Antenna 2 peduncular article 1 not enlarged. Mandible molar triturative; palp symmetrical. Maxilla 1 basal endite apically setose; palps symmetrical. Maxilla 2 basal endite without oblique setal row. Labium inner lobes present. Coxal gills number and sequence [not known], not stalked; sternal gills absent; sternal blisters absent; oostegites fringing setae simple. Gnathopod 1 subchelate; smaller (or weaker) than gnathopod 2; propodus palm without robust setae along palmar margin. Gnathopod 2 subchelate; similar in males and females (not sexually dimorphic); carpus slightly produced along posterior margin of 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 1–2 coalesced, 3 free; without slender or robust dorsal setae. Urosomite 1 without large distoventral robust seta. Urosomite 2 without dorsal setae. Uropod 1 without basofacial robust setae. Uropod 3 biramous, without plumose setae; endopod minute. Telson deeply cleft ; dorsal or lateral robust setae absent; apical robust setae absent.

Remarks. Kairosids are similar to the endemic Mediterranean carangoliopsids. However, carangoliopsids are subcylindrical amphipods with very small, discontiguous coxae, with gnathopod 2 dissimilar in form between males and females, with the carpus of gnathopod 1 shorter than the propodus, with well developed dactyli on the pereopods, with a relatively short merus on pereopod 3 and 4, with non-coalesced urosomites, with styliform rami on uropods 1 and with a basofacial robust seta on the peduncle of uropod 1.

Habitat. Marine, epigean.

Included genera. Kairos Krapp-Schickel & Müller, 2011 .

Distribution. Society Islands.