Nymphonidae

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Cladus: Unikonta
Cladus: Opisthokonta
Cladus: Holozoa
Regnum: Animalia
Subregnum: Eumetazoa
Cladus: Bilateria
Cladus: Nephrozoa
Cladus: Protostomia
Cladus: Ecdysozoa
Cladus: Panarthropoda
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Chelicerata
Classis: Pycnogonida
Ordo: Pantopoda
Subordo: Eupantopodida
Superfamilia: Nymphonoidea

Familia: Nymphonidae
Genera: Boreonymphon - Heteronymphon - Neonymphon - Nymphon - Pentanymphon - Sexanymphon

References

Sirvid, P.J. et al. 2010: [Chapter] SIX Phylum ARTHROPODA CHELICERATA horseshoe crabs, arachnids, sea spiders. Pp. 50-89 in Gordon, D.P. (ed.): New Zealand inventory of biodiversity. Volume 2. Kingdom Animalia. Chaetognatha, Ecdysozoa, ichnofossils. Canterbury University Press, Christchurch, New Zealand. ISBN 978-1-87725793-3

Nymphonidae is a family of sea spiders which has representatives in all the oceans. This family contains some 250 species, most of which are found in the genus Nymphon. Nymphonid bodies are between 1 and 15 mm long, the extent between the points of the legs reaching 150 mm.[1] Most species are predators of hydroids. Like most sea spiders, species in this family have four pairs of legs, except for Pentanymphon antarcticum, which has five pairs,[2][3] and Sexanymphon mirabilis, which has six pairs.[4][5]

Taxonomy

Seven genera are currently recognized:[6]

Boreonymphon Sars, 1888 (4 species)
Bradypallene Kim & Hong, 1987 (1 species)
Heteronymphon Gordon, 1932 (8 species)
Neonymphon Stock, 1955 (1 species)
Nymphon Fabricius, 1794 (> 250 species)
Pentanymphon Hodgson, 1904 (1 species)
Sexanymphon Hedgpeth & Fry, 1964 (1 species)

Selected species

Nymphon gracile Leach, 1814
Nymphon brevirostre Hodge, 1863
Nymphon hirtum Kroyer, 1844

References

Nymphon stroemi at Marine Species Identification Portal.
Hodgson, T.V. (1904). "On a new pycnogonid from the south polar regions". Annals and Magazine of Natural History. 14 (84): 458–462. doi:10.1080/03745480409443036 – via Biodiversity Heritage Library.
Hedgpeth, Joel W. (1947). "On the evolutionary significance of the Pycnogonida". Smithsonian Miscellaneous Collections. 106 (18): 1–53 – via Smithsonian Research Online.
Hedgpeth, Joel W.; Fry, William G. (1964-03-01). "Another dodecopodous pycnogonid". Annals and Magazine of Natural History. 7 (75): 161–169. doi:10.1080/00222936408651451. ISSN 0374-5481.
Jayasree, V.; Sreepada, R. A.; Parulekar, A. H. (1993). "An unusual giant pycnogonid (Pycnogonida-Colossendeidae) Decolopoda qasimi sp. nov. from Antarctic waters". Current Science. 65 (2): 179–181 – via NIO Digital Repository Service.
Bamber, R.N., El Nagar, A. & Staples, D. (Eds) (2014). Pycnobase: World Pycnogonida Database. Accessed at http://www.marinespecies.org/pycnobase on 2014-10-30