The Dajidae are a
family
Family (from ) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictabili ...
of marine
isopod
Isopoda is an Order (biology), order of crustaceans. Members of this group are called isopods and include both Aquatic animal, aquatic species and Terrestrial animal, terrestrial species such as woodlice. All have rigid, segmented exoskeletons ...
crustacean
Crustaceans (from Latin meaning: "those with shells" or "crusted ones") are invertebrate animals that constitute one group of arthropods that are traditionally a part of the subphylum Crustacea (), a large, diverse group of mainly aquatic arthrop ...
s in the suborder
Cymothoida
Cymothoida is a suborder of Isopoda, isopod crustaceans with a mostly Carnivore, carnivorous or Parasite, parasitic lifestyle. It contains more than 2,700 described species in four Taxonomic rank#Ranks in zoology, superfamilies. Members of the su ...
.
The original description was made by Giard and Bonnier in 1887. Members of this family are
ectoparasites
Parasitism is a close relationship between species, where one organism, the parasite, lives (at least some of the time) on or inside another organism, the host, causing it some harm, and is adapted structurally to this way of life. The en ...
of
krill
Krill ''(Euphausiids)'' (: krill) are small and exclusively marine crustaceans of the order (biology), order Euphausiacea, found in all of the world's oceans. The name "krill" comes from the Norwegian language, Norwegian word ', meaning "small ...
. They resemble a fleshy growth on the krill's back, and make the host look as if it is wearing a
rucksack
A backpack, also called knapsack, schoolbag, rucksack, pack, booksack, bookbag, haversack, packsack, or backsack, is in its simplest frameless form, a fabric sack carried on one's back and secured with two straps that go over the shoulders; b ...
.
These genera are included in the family Dajidae:
*''
Allophryxus''
Koehler, 1911
*''
Antephyra''
Schultz, 1978
*''
Arthrophryxus''
Richardson, 1908
*''
Aspidophryxus''
G. O. Sars, 1883
*''
Branchiophryxus''
Caullery, 1897
*''
Colophryxus''
Richardson, 1908
*''
Dajus''
Krøyer, 1846
*''
Dolichophryxus''
Schultz, 1977
*''
Heterophryxus''
G. O. Sars, 1885
*''
Holophryxus''
Richardson, 1905
*''
Notophryxus''
G. O. Sars, 1883
*''
Oculophryxus''
Shields & Gómez-Gutiérrez, 1996
*''
Paradajus''
Nierstrasz & Brender à Brandis, 1923
*''
Paraspidophryxus''
Schultz, 1977
*''
Prodajus''
Bonnier, 1903
*''
Prophryxus''
Richardson, 1909
*''
Streptodajus''
Nierstrasz & Brender à Brandis, 1923
*''
Zonophryxus''
Richardson, 1903
References
Cymothoida
Isopod families
{{Isopod-stub