Login
Login

Pycnogonum

{{Short description|Genus of sea spiders}}

{{Automatic taxobox

| image = Pycnogonum litorale (dorsal).jpg

| image_caption = Pycnogonum litorale

| taxon = Pycnogonum

| authority = Brünnich, 1764 [http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=134595 Pycnogonum - Bruennich, 1764 ] World Register of Marine Species. Retrieved 2011-11-22.

| subdivision_ranks = Species

| subdivision = See text

}}

Pycnogonum is a genus of sea spiders in the family Pycnogonidae. It is the type genus of the family.

Etymology

The generic name literally means “dense knees”. Pycnogonum combines the prefix {{linktext|pycno-}} (from ‘dense’ in Greek) with the Greek word for "knee": {{Transliteration|grc|gony}} ({{wikt-lang|grc|γόνυ}}).{{cite web |title=pycnogonid |url=https://www.thefreedictionary.com/pycnogonid |work=The Free Dictionary |quote=From Neo-Latin Pycnogonida, class name, from {{lang|la|Pycnogonum}}, type genus: Greek {{Transliteration|grc|puknos}}, thick + Greek {{Transliteration|grc|gonu}}, knee; see genu- in Indo-European roots.}}{{Merriam-Webster|pycnogonid}}: "ultimately from Greek {{Transliteration|grc|pyknos}} + {{Transliteration|grc|gony}} knee"{{cite journal |last1=Arnaud |first1=F. |last2=Bamber |first2=R.N. | title=The Biology of Pycnogonida |journal= Advances in Marine Biology | volume= 24| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_hr8eiAMgMQC&pg=PA3|date=1 December 1987|publisher=Academic Press|isbn=978-0-08-057947-4|page=3|quote= pycnogonids (meaning "dense-knees")}}

Characteristics

Members of the genus Pycnogonum have squarish bodies with a tough integument and a few hairs. The cephalon (the anterior end of the body which is fused with the first segment of the trunk) has a long smooth proboscis and a low tubercle on which the eyes are set. There are no chelicerae or palps and these sea spiders use their proboscis to suck juices from their prey. On the first segment of the trunk of males there are small ovigerous legs with nine segments. The larvae are carried around by the males on these appendages. The four pairs of ambulatory legs are short but strong, with well-developed terminal claws. The genital openings are on the second segment of the posterior pair of legs.[http://species-identification.org/species.php?species_group=pycnogonida&menuentry=groepen&id=13&tab=beschrijving Genus ''Pycnogonum] Marine Species Identification Portal. Retrieved 2011-11-22.

Species

The World Register of Marine Species lists the following species:

{{div col|colwidth=35em}}

{{div col end}}

References

{{Reflist}}

{{Taxonbar|from=Q3411182}}

Category:Pycnogonid genera