Paradella Harrison and Holdich 1982

Genus Paradella Harrison and Holdich, 1982

Paradella Harrison & Holdich, 1982: 99.– Harrison, 1984: 386.– Harrison & Ellis, 1991: 943.– Kensley & Schotte, 1989: 223.– Storey, 2002: 139.

Remarks: There is no need to modify the generic diagnoses other than to accept that species may be with or without a posteriorly­directed process on pereonite 7. Harrison & Holdich (1982) provided a key to the genera related to Paradella as did Kensley & Schotte (1989) who used rather easier to observe characters than did Harrison & Holdich (1982). The genus is best identified by males having a distinct dorsally­directed and posteriorly closed pleotelson foramen, long, tapering and basally fused penial processes, a long (extending well beyond pleopod 2 endopod) and basally narrow appendix masculina, both sexes with two fused pleonal sutures, pleopod 1 rami lamellar (without thickened margins) and pereopod dactyli with a simple secondary unguis.

There are, including the new species described here, thirteen species in the genus. Of these only three have been recorded from the East Pacific. However, we are aware that many undescribed species are held in collections around the world (including one more from Baja California) and that there are several species of ‘ Dynamenella ­like’ sphaeromatids described from the Pacific coast of North America that may, when redescribed, be found to belong to Paradella.