A new order of crustacea peracarida

A new order, Mictacea, is proposed within the superorder Peracarida for Hirsutia bathyalis Sanders, Hessler, and Gamer and Mictocaris halope Bowman and Iliffe. The new order is characterized by a unique combination of characters, most of which are not unique to the Mictacea, but are found in at least one other peracaridan order. Two new species of peracarid crustaceans, both representatives of the new order diagnosed below, were discovered independently by Bowman and Iliffe (1985) and Sanders, Hessler, and Gamer (1 985). When our discoveries became mutually known, we decided to prepare jointly a characterization of the new order that would encompass the features of both species. In order to achieve this goal, it was decided that description of the new crustacean species and of the new genera and families required for them should be published in two separate papers, with a third paper by all of us proposing a new order for these taxa. Thanks to the good offices of the editor of this journal, it has been possible to publish all three manuscripts in this issue. Of the two species of the new order, Hirsutia bathyalis and Mictocaris halope, only the female of Hirsutia is known. In the diagnosis of the new order that follows it is assumed that the sexual dimorphism of Mictocaris will also be found in Hirsutia. Superorder Peracarida Calman, 1904