Anaspidesidae is a family of freshwater crustacean that is endemic to Tasmania, Australia. The family contains 3 living genera. This group of crustaceans are considered living fossils. They are commonly and collectively known as the Tasmanian anaspid crustaceans.

This family is originally called as Anaspididae. However, genus name Anaspis was preoccupied by the insect genus, Anaspis Geoffroy, 1762, and therefore, in 2017, the family was renamed to Anaspidesidae by Shane Ahyong and Miguel A. Alonso-Zarazaga.

Anaspiesids have stalked eyes, long antennae and antennules, and a slender body with no carapace. The two species of Allanaspides and the single species of Paranaspides are all listed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List.

Taxonomy

After Höpel et al. (2023)

Allanaspides Swain, Wilson, Hickman & Ong, 1970

• Allanaspides hickmani Swain, Wilson & Ong, 1970 – commonly known as Hickman's pygmy mountain shrimp

• Allanaspides helonomus Swain, Wilson, Hickman & Ong, 1970

Anaspides Thomson, 1894

• Anaspides tasmaniae Thomson, 1892

• Anaspides spinulae Williams, 1965

• Anaspides jarmani Ahyong, 2015

• Anaspides clarkei Ahyong, 2015

• Anaspides swaini Ahyong, 2015

• Anaspides driesseni Höpel, Richter & Ahyong, 2023

• Anaspides richardsoni Ahyong, 2016

• Anaspides eberhardi Ahyong, 2016

Paranaspides Smith, 1908

• Paranaspides lacustris Smith, 1909

• Paranaspides williamsi Ahyong, Schwentner & Richter, 2017

Anaspidites Brooks, 1962 (Hawkesbury sandstone, Triassic)

• Anaspidites antiquus (Chilton, 1929)

Koonaspides Jell & Duncan, 1986 (Koonwarra fossil bed, Aptian, Early Cretaceous)

• Koonaspides indistinctus Jell & Duncan, 1986

References