Akanthophoreid with pereonites 2–5 as long as broad or slightly longer, lateral margins parallel or slightly produced at pereopod insertion. Pleonite-5 sternite with non-recurved acuminate spur. Pleotelson without lateral spurs. Maxilla setulate. Maxilliped bases with long seta. Cheliped carpus shield large, rounded; fixed finger incisive margin without proximal denticulation; dactylus superior margin smooth. Pereopods 2–3 carpus with three bayonet spines and medial seta. Pereopods 1–3 basis superior margin with PSS; propodus (and some carpus) inferior spinules robust. Pereopod-5 propodus with two superodistal spines. Uropod peduncle simple; exopod two-segmented; endopod slender, about three times length of peduncle.
Preparatory male similar to female but pleon slightly larger; antennule fivearticled, stouter than in female.
Swimming male not known.
From the Greek saurotos, ‘spiked’, and suffix pleona; a similar name to Chauliopleona; gender female.
Saurotipleona julii sp. nov.; see below. Monotypic.
Two superodistal spines (rather than one) on the propodus of pereopod-5 are plesiomorphic relative to most paratanaoids other than leptocheliids, teleotanaids, pseudozeuxids, heterotanoidids and a few others, such as Tangalooma Bamber, 2008. The presence of this character in an akanthophoreid genus is surprising, although it was apparently observed, but for pereopod-4 and without comment, by Guerrero- Kommritz (2005) for C. hastata. The validity of this is discussed below.