Colossendeidae Hoek 1881

FamilyCOLOSSENDEIDAE Hoek, 1881

Diagnosis. Size usually very large; trunk strong, without tubercles; lateral processes well separated; proboscis usually longer than trunk, cylindrical, held horizontally but sometimes distally downcurved; chelifores absent in adults, except in two Antarctic genera, Decolpoda and Dodecolopoda; palps long, nine- or 10-segmented; ovigers in both sexes, very long, 10- segmented, with strong functional strigilis having several rows of spines and terminal claw; legs usually very long, slender; auxiliary claws lacking. Cement gland unknown. Contains eight-, 10- and 12-legged forms. Colossendeids tend to inhabit cold water, occurring in deep water at low latitudes but sometimes more shallowly at high latitudes.