''Stygotantulus'' is a genus of
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 ...
with the sole species ''Stygotantulus stocki''.
[ It lives as an ectoparasite on harpacticoid ]copepod
Copepods (; meaning 'oar-feet') are a group of small crustaceans found in nearly every freshwater and saltwater habitat (ecology), habitat. Some species are planktonic (living in the water column), some are benthos, benthic (living on the sedimen ...
s of the families Tisbidae and Canuellidae. It may be the smallest arthropod
Arthropods ( ) are invertebrates in the phylum Arthropoda. They possess an arthropod exoskeleton, exoskeleton with a cuticle made of chitin, often Mineralization (biology), mineralised with calcium carbonate, a body with differentiated (Metam ...
in the world, at a length of less than . The specific name ''stocki'' commemorates Jan Hendrik Stock, a Dutch carcinologist
This is a list of notable carcinologists. A carcinologist is a scientist who studies crustaceans or is otherwise involved in carcinology (the science of crustaceans).
References
{{Reflist, 24em
Carcinologists, .
Lists of zoologists, Carcino ...
.
See also
* Smallest organisms
References
Parasitic crustaceans
Ectoparasites
Monotypic Maxillopoda genera
{{maxillopoda-stub