Pycnogonida |
Pantopoda |
Ammotheidae
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Benthic; depth range 0 - 70 m (Ref. 9). Subtropical
Southwest Pacific: Off Norfolk Island.
Length at first maturity / Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm Max length : 0.1 cm LS male/unsexed; (Ref. 9)
Small species with leg span of only about 0.14 cm. Trunk segmented, without large cowls or dorsomedian tubercles at posterior segmentation lines. Lateral processes like the size of their diameters, separated by less than their diameters, armed with 1 - 3 short dorsodistal or dorsal spines. Ocular tubercle low, shorter than basal diameter, eyes large, prominent, darkly pigmented. Abdomen short, blunt, without distal extension or rounded tubercle, not as long as fourth lateral processes, armed with 3 - 4 short distal spines. Proboscis ovoid, longer than trunk width, about half trunk length, without constrictions. Chelifores entirely lacking. Palps 9 segmented, fourth segment longest, longer than second, first and third short, sub equal. Distal 4 short segments carried anaxially on curved fifth segment, hook-shaped, without ventral extensions or tubercles, moderately setose ventrally and distally. Most setae as long as segment diameters. Oviger 10 segmented, third segment shorter than fourth or fifth which are sub equal in length. Sixth segment with many short spines, seventh placed anaxially on sixth, with lateral apophysis bearing 5 - 6 long spines. Eighth, ninth, and tenth segments each smaller than last, armed with small denticulate spines in formula 1: 1: 2, each with many lateral denticles. Legs long and slender, armed with very few short setae or spines except distal segments. Second tibiae the longest segments. Femoral cement gland small, opening a single small dorsodistal pore at about 0.75 femoral length. Tarsus short, without heel spines. Propodi homogenous in anterior posterior members, short, well curved, sole with three major heel spines, one or two slightly smaller proximal heel spines, and 6 - 7 small sole spines. Claw robust, short, well curved distally, auxiliary claws long, about 0.6 main claw length. Female characters unknown (Ref. 9).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Members of the class Pycnogonida are gonochoric and sexually dimorphic. During copulation, male usually suspends itself beneath the female. Fertilization occurs as the eggs leave the female's ovigers. Males brood the egg masses until they hatch. Life cycle: Eggs hatch into protonymphon larva then to adults.
Child, C.A. 1998. (Ref. 9)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2024-1)
CITES status (Ref. 108899)
Not Evaluated
Not Evaluated
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
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More information
Trophic EcologyFood items
Diet
Food consumption
Ration
Predators
Population dynamicsGrowth
Age/Size
Length-weight
Length-length
Length-frequencies
Mass conversion
Recruitment
Abundance
Life cycleReproductionMaturityFecunditySpawningEggsEgg developmentLarvaeLarval dynamics Human RelatedAquaculture profile
Stamps, Coins Misc.
Internet sources
Estimates based on models
Vulnerability
Low vulnerability (10 of 100).
Price category
Unknown.