Pseudoniphargidae Karaman, 1993

Lowry, J. K. & Myers, A. A., 2012, New, mainly southern hemisphere, freshwater families of Amphipoda (Crustacea), together with a description of the first freshwater calliopiid, Lutriwita bradburyi gen. nov. et sp. nov., Zootaxa 3499, pp. 27-45 : 37

Pseudoniphargidae Karaman, 1993

Type genus. Pseudoniphargus Chevreux, 1901 .

Included genera. Parapseudoniphargus Notenboom 1988 ; Pseudoniphargus Chevreux, 1901 .

Diagnostic description. Head eyes absent. Lingueolus absent. Antenna 1 longer than antenna 2; peduncular article 1 longer than article 2; accessory flagellum short, or minute. Antenna 2 peduncular article 1 bulbous. Mandible incisor dentate. Labium with inner plates. Maxilla 1 inner plate setose apically; palps alike. Maxilla 2 inner plate without oblique setal row. Maxilliped inner plate well developed; outer plate small. Body subcylindrical, or laterally compressed. Coxal gills present on coxae 2 to 6, stalked, with or without proximal suture or stalked. Sternal gills absent. Gnathopods 1 and 2 not sexually dimorphic. Gnathopod 1 smaller (or weaker) than gnathopod 2; propodus palm with multiple row of simple or bifid robust setae along palmar margin (reduced in size). Pereopod 4 without posteroventral lobe. Pereopods 5–7: pereopod 5 shorter, pereopods 6 and 7 similar length; dactyli with a few subterminal setae. Pereopod 5 coxa shallow, equilobate; basis expanded, or slightly expanded. Urosomites 1 to 3 free, without robust dorsal setae. Urosomite 1 without distoventral robust seta. Urosomite 2 without paired dorsal setae. Uropod 1 peduncle with 1 or 2 small basofacial robust setae; without ventromedial spine. Uropod 3 biramous; rami sexually dimorphic; without fringing plumose setae; inner ramus minute; outer ramus article 2 absent. Telson notched, emarginate or entire, with robust setae.

Remarks. Holsinger (1989) did not include Pseudoniphargus in the Allocrangonyctidae Holsinger, 1971 , although he commented on their many shared apomorphies. Karaman (1993), apparently unaware of the Allocrangonyctidae , included Allocrangonyx Schellenberg, 1937 in the Pseudoniphargidae . The two families are separated as follows: antenna 2 peduncular article 1 not enlarged in allocrangonyctids (enlarged in pseudoniphargids); coxal gill not stalked in allocrangonyctids (stalked in pseudoniphargids); pereopod 5 coxa with large anteroventral lobe in allocrangonyctids (posterodorsal in pseudoniphargids); pereopod 7 with setae along posterior margin of dactylus in allocrangonyctids (few subterminal in pseudoniphargids); urosomite 1 with distoventral robust seta in allocrangonyctids (absent in pseudoniphargids); uropod 3, 2-articulate in allocrangonyctids (1-articulate in pseudoniphargids).

Distribution. Europe; Mediterranean.