Information on cumaceans
Leuconidae: Eudorella truncatula
Cumaceans are small crustaceans, generally 1-10mm in size, which occur from tidal
to abyssal depths
in marine (and brackish) waters throughout the world. They are found in the first
few cms of sand or sand/mud substrates; while they may be locally abundant,
their distributions are patchy. Cumaceans feed on microorganisms and
organic matter and are, in turn, consumed by bottom feeding organisms including
a number of fishes.
Cumaceans are malacostracans distinguished by a combination
of features including a large carapace which covers many thorasic somites, a narrow, long abdomen,
a forked tail, and, in many families, a telson. The sexes are conspicuously
dimorphic: females lack pleopods (with one exception, of course!) and have a large
brood chamber. The carapace is ornamented in many lineages and
appendages are generally highly modified. The
morphology of cumaceans is sufficiently distinctive that members of the order are easy to
recognize.
For an illustrated general introduction to the group, look at the
web site of the
Crustacean Laboratory of the Museum of Victoria, Australia .
DNA sequences of cumaceans (and related crustaceans) can be located via the
National Center for Biotechnology Information
taxonomy browser.