Leptochelia Dana, 1849

Jarquín-González, Jani, García-Madrigal, María Del Socorro & Carrera-Parra, Luis Fernando, 2015, First species of Leptochelia Dana, 1849 (Crustacea: Tanaidacea) from the Eastern Pacific, with an annotated checklist and identification keys for the genus, Zootaxa 3920 (4), pp. 501-533 : 504

Genus Leptochelia Dana, 1849

Type species: Leptochelia minuta Dana, 1849

Diagnosis (amended from Lang 1973): Female. Antennule with three or four articles. Antenna with 5–7 articles; second and third article of antenna with one or two spiniform setae. Mandibles with cylindrical molars and serrated/crenulated denticles. Maxillulae with 10–11 distal spiniform setae; palp with two terminal setae. Maxillipeds well developed, with at least three distal setae just behind the palp; endite with three or sometimes two flat setae. Male. Antennule with three peduncular articles and multi-articulate flagellum. Mouthparts generally reduced. Maxillipeds without setae on basis; palp uniarticulate, very small. Chelipeds normal or greatly extended; with a horizontal row of setae; fixed finger with or without processes. Both sexes. Pereopods I‒III more slender than pereopods IV‒VI. With five pairs of pleopods. Uropod with one or two articles on exopod and four to seven articles on endopod.

Remarks. According to Gutu (2011b) Leptochelia displays “deceitful” morphological features (e.g. setulation of the pleonites) that are influenced by age. However, Bamber (2010, 2012) indicated that more detailed reviews of widespread species have revealed morphologically distinct species, such as the case of Leptochelia dubia ( Krøyer, 1842) and Leptochelia savignyi ( Krøyer, 1842) .