PORT PHILLIP BAY


Pycnogonid 

Pycnogonum tuberculatum Clark, 1963

View scientific description and taxonomy

Scientific Details

Family level characters.
TRUNK: Compact, robust.
ABDOMEN: Short, carried horizontally.
EYES: 4
PROBOSCIS: Strong, robust, shape variable.
SCAPES: Lacking.
CHELAE: Lacking.
PALPS: Lacking.
OVIGERS: Either lacking in both sexes or male only, 6-9 segmented. Large terminal claw, without strigilis.
LEGS: 4 or 5 pair, short, knobby.
TARSUS: shorter than propodus.
AUXILIARY CLAWS: Present or absent.
CEMENT GLAND(S): Not recorded.
GENITAL PORES: Male ventral surface last pair of legs. Female dorsal surface of last pair of legs.

Genus level characters.
TRUNK: Thick-set, broad in relation to length. Rarely without dorsal ridges or tubercles.
ABDOMEN: Short.
EYES: 4 eyes.
PROBOSCIS: Usually short, barrel-shaped
SCAPES: Absent.

Taxonomy

Phylum:
Arthropoda
Subphylum:
Cheliceriformes
Class:
Pycnogonida
Order:
Pantopoda
Family:
Pycnogonidae
Genus:
Pycnogonum
Species:
tuberculatum

Other Names

  • Sea spider

General Description

Body with proboscis projecting outward from front, with the mouth at the tip. Central body (trunk) behind the proboscis, with a raised, rounded area (tubercle) bearing four eyes. Eight segmented walking legs attached to the sides of the trunk. Short abdomen behind trunk. Leg span about 15 mm.

Biology

This species is rarely recorded and known only from preserved specimens. Males carry the eggs, holding them between body parts called ovigers that hang under the animal.

Habitat

Little known about habitat, to depth of 148 m.

Reefs

Distribution guide

New South Wales and Victoria.

Species Group

Sea spiders

Depth

Shallow (1-30 m)
Deep ( > 30 m)

Water Column

On or near sea floor

Max Size

15 mm

Commercial Species

No

Global Dispersal

Native to Australia

Conservation Status

  • DSE Advisory List : Not listed
  • EPBC Act 1999 : Not listed
  • IUCN Red List : Not listed

Author

article author Staples, D.

David Staples is a consultant with expertise in pycnogonid taxonomy.

citation

Cite this page as:
Staples, D., 2011, Pycnogonid, Pycnogonum tuberculatum, in Taxonomic Toolkit for marine life of Port Phillip Bay, Museum Victoria, accessed 06 Oct 2024, http://136.154.202.208:8098/species/6269

Text: creative commons cc by licence