The Cryptoniscidae are a family of marine isopod crustaceans in the suborder Cymothoida. The original description was made by Kossmann in 1880.Kossmann, R. (1880) Malacostraca (2. Theil, Anomura, Macrura, Schizopoda, Stomatopoda, Isopoda, Laemodipoda, Amphipoda). Zoologische Ergebnisse einer im Auftrage der Koniglich Akademie der Wissenschaften zu Berlin ausgefuhrten Reise in die Kuestengebiete des Rothen Meeres, zweite Halfte, erste Lieferung: 67-140 Liriopsidae is a junior synonym. Members of this family are hyperparasites of rhizocephalid barnacles which are themselves parasites of decapod crustaceans. The morphology of the adult females gives little clue as to their true identity, but the free-living larvae show their true taxonomic affiliations.
Genera
The family contains these genera: Avada Boyoko, 2014 Cabirnalia Boyko & van der Meij, 2018 Cryptoniscus F. Müller, 1864 Danalia Giard, 1887 Enthylacus Pérez, 1920 Eumetor Kossmann, 1872 Liriopsis Schultze in Müller, 1859 Zeuxokoma Grygier, 1993
References