Deep‐sea asellote isopods of the north‐east Atlantic: the family Thambematidae

• Published in: Zoologica Scripta
• Main Author: HARRISON, K.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Wiley 1987
• Subjects: Rockall Trough; North East Atlantic
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1463-6409.1987.tb00052.x; https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1111%2Fj.1463-6409.1987.tb00052.x; https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/j.1463-6409.1987.tb00052.x

A collection of thambematids (Crustacea, Isopoda, Asellota) from depths of 1400–2900 m in the Rockall Trough, west of the British Isles, is considered. The type species of the genus Thambema Stebbing, T. amicorum Stebbing, is rediagnosed and three new species, T. golanachum, T. tanum , and T. fiatum , are described. The genera Thambema and Microthambema Birstein are contrasted and taxonomic characters separating these genera are provided. The difficulty of providing effective definitions for higher category taxa is discussed and a new definition is provided for the Asellota.