A new family is proposed to accommodate Styracothorax gladiator, new genus, new species, collected from 2,050-m depth in the Philippine Sea. The Styracothoracidae is placed in the Cervinioidea on account of the fused rostrum, the setation of the antennary endopod, the reduction of the maxillulary exopod, and the uniramous fifth legs in at least the female. A suite of synapomorphies, including the subchelate maxilliped, suggests a sister-group relationship with the cave-dwelling Rotundiclipeidae. The primitive features of the Styracothoracidae and the phylogenetic relationships of the cervinioid families are discussed. |
