Tanaopsis G.O. Sars, 1896

BIRD, GRAHAM J., 2011, Paratanaoidean tanaidaceans (Crustacea: Peracarida) from littoral and shallow sublittoral habitats in New Zealand, with descriptions of three new genera and seven new species, Zootaxa 2891 (1), pp. 1-62 : 54

Tanaopsis G.O. Sars, 1896

Synonymy (restricted): Tanaopsis G.O.Sars, 1896 : Lang (1967): 347–349; Sieg & Dojiri (1991): 1511–1512; Sieg (1983b): 368–369 [extensive bibliography]; Bird & Bamber (2000): 100.

Diagnosis. see Lang (1967).

Type species. Tanaopsis graciloides (Lilljeborg, 1864)

Species included (Australasian): Tanaopsis canaipa Bamber, 2008 ; Tanaopsis rawhitia n. sp.

Remarks. The Australian (Queensland) species T. canaipa is slightly aberrant among Tanaopsis with regard to cephalothorax shape. The genus also includes T. antarctica Lang, 1967 , T. gallardoi (Shiino) , T. kerguelenensis Shiino that have been recorded from either the Subantarctic or West Wind belt so could have been a possible source of records for the genus in New Zealand waters. The phylogenetics of Tanaopsis have not been investigated but it is likely that its closest affinities lie with genera such as Spinitanaopsis Larsen, 2005 and Cristatotanais Kudinova- Pasternak.

The presence of pinnate setae on the propodus of pereopods 4–5 is variable, but these can be lost or overlooked.