Taken primarily from Kozloff, 1987, 1996 p. 394. (Copyright 1987, 1996, University of Washington Press. Used in this web page by permission of University of Washington Press)
An excellent alternate, up to date key can be found in Wicksten, 2009 on page 55.
Other members of this Family which are not found in the
Salish Sea and so are not in this key:
Oplophorus
spinosus
Systellaspis
debilis
| Jump to: | ||||
| Lower taxonomic level | Main Page | Alphabetic Index | Systematic Index | Glossary |
| 1a | Abdominal segment 6 (the last segment) with a median dorsal ridge (segments 1-5 or 2-5 may also have a ridge) | 2 |
| 1b | Abdominal segment 6 without a median dorsal ridge (in Systellaspis, segment 3, and sometimes segment 4, also have a median ridge) (photo) | 3 |
| 2a | All abdominal segments with a median dorsal ridge; carapace with a prominent lateral ridge | Notostomus japonicus |
| 2b | Abdominal segment 1 without a median dorsal ridge; carapace without a prominent lateral ridge that runs its full length on both sides | Acanthephyra curtirostris |
| 3a | Eyes almost without pigment; none of the abdominal segments with a median dorsal ridge (exoskeleton very soft and flexible) | 4 |
| 3b | Eyes dark, with considerable pigment; abdominal segment 3, and sometimes 4, with a median dorsal ridge (photo) | 7 |
| 4a | Telson with a bluntly rounded, setose (but not spinose) distal portion that projects beyond the last pair of lateral spines, which are much longer than the other lateral spines | Hymenodora acanthitelsonis |
| 4b | Telson without a rounded distal portion that projects beyond the last pair of lateral spines (the tip of the telson, moreover, has several spines) | 5 |
| 5a | Rostrum extending only slightly beyond the cornea of the eye | 6 |
| 5b | Rostrum extending up to or beyond the distal end of the peduncle of antenna 1 | Hymenodora frontalis |
| 6a | Maxilliped 2 with a podobranch on the epipodite; carapace with a V-shaped groove (the apex of the V directed ventrally) on both sides near the middle of its length | Hymenodora gracilis |
| 6b | Maxilliped 2 without a podobranch on the epipodite; carapace without a V-shaped groove on both sides | Hymenodora glacialis |
| 7a | Rostrum about half as long as the rest of the carapace; abdominal segment 5 without a median dorsal spine at its posterior edge | Systellaspis braueri |
| 7b | Rostrum more than half as long as the rest of the carapace; abdominal segment 5 with a median dorsal spine at its posterior edge (photo) | Systellaspis cristata |
Acanthephyra curtirostris
Hymenodora acanthitelsonis
Hymenodora frontalis
Hymenodora glacialis
Hymenodora gracilis
Notostomus japonicus
Oplophorus spinosus
Systellaspis braueri
Systellaspis cristata
Systellaspis
debilis