Cryptoniscus
Guides
Epicaridea
crustacean isopods
Epicaridea is a suborder of parasitic marine isopods now classified within Cymothoida. Members are obligate ectoparasites of other crustaceans, including ostracods, copepods, barnacles, and malacostracans. The group exhibits extreme sexual dimorphism, with females typically becoming asymmetrical and losing segmentation while males remain small and morphologically distinct. Development proceeds through regressive metamorphosis involving two or three larval stages, including the distinctive cryptoniscus stage. Approximately 704 species have been described globally, though the group remains less studied than other isopod lineages.