Abstract
The nemertean family Carcinonemertidae has previously been treated as a group of closely related egg predators with low host specificity. Recent research on the life history of this group has revealed that their diversity has been greatly underestimated. The recognition of host selectivity in the genus Carcinonemertes suggests a mechanism by which speciation may proceed. Preliminary morphological data allow the distinction of what appear to be several new genera and species. Other forms are so distinct that their unique features suggest that egg predation may have evolved in unrelated lineages. What has been considered a monophyletic family may represent a polyphyletic group of nemerteans which have converged adapting to a symbiotic life-style.
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Wickham, D.E., Kuris, A.M. Diversity among nemertean egg predators of decapod crustaceans. Hydrobiologia 156, 23–30 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00027974
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00027974