Amended diagnosis. Marine, free living Cerviniinae. Body with clear distinction between prosome and urosome. Prosome 4 -segmented, with first pedigerous somite incorporated into cephalothorax. Urosome 5 -segmented, comprising P 5 -bearing somite, genital double-somite, 2 free abdominal somites and anal somite. Genital doublesomite with P 6 bearing 2–3 setae, lateral projections (when present) hook-like. Anal somite with operculum and large anal opening. Caudal rami elongate, slightly to markedly divergent, slightly to markedly asymmetrical, each ramus with 7 setae.
Rostrum fused to cephalic shield. Antennule of female 5 - to 7 -segmented; with aesthetasc on segment II or III; additional aesthetasc present or absent on most distal segment. Antenna with allobasis or distinct basis; endopod 1 - or 2 -segmented, distal segment with 4 –7 apical elements and 2–3 elements laterally; exopod 4 -segmented with armature formula: I-[1–2 setae], II-[1–2 setae], III-[1 seta], IV-[2–3 setae]. Mandible with gnathobase bearing multicuspidate teeth and 1 seta around distal margin; basis with 3–4 setae; endopod 1 - or 2 -segmented with 6–10 setae on distal segment; and exopod 1 - to 4 -segmented with 3–6 setae in total. Maxillule with well developed arthrite with 7–14 elements in total; coxa with endite bearing 2–6 setae and epipodite represented by 1 seta or completely absent; basis and endopod fused, with 5–14 setae; exopod 1 -segmented, with 3 setae. Maxillary syncoxa with 4 endites, formula [3 –4, 3, 2 –3, 3]; allobasis with well developed basal endite forming claw with 1–3 accessory elements, endopodal armature of allobasis represented by 2 elements; endopod 1 - to 3 -segmented, with 4–8 setae in total. Maxilliped with syncoxa and basis or with elongated protopod; syncoxal endites formula [1 –2, 2–3, 2], basal endite represented by 2 elements; endopod 2 -segmented, formula: I-[0–1], II-[3–4].
P 1 basis with 1 inner and 1 outer seta, exopod 1 -segmented and endopod 1 - or 2 -segmented. P 2 –P 3 basis with outer seta, exopod 1 -segmented, and 1 - or 2 -segmented endopod. P 4 basis with outer seta, 1 - or 2 -segmented exopod, and endopod 1 -segmented or absent. P 1 –P 4 spine and seta formulae as follows:
Female fifth pair of legs with protopod fused to supporting somite bearing 1 outer seta; exopod with 2–3 elements.
Male unknown.
Type species. Cerviniella mirabilipes Smirnov, 1946.
Other species. Cerviniella arctica sp. nov., C. bodini Coull, 1973, C. brodskayae Por, 1969, C. danae sp. nov., C. hamata Coull, 1973, C. hitoshii sp. nov., C. lagarderei Bodin, 1968, C. langi Bodin, 1968, C. peruana Becker, 1974, C. talpa (Por, 1964).
Distribution. See Table 1.