Revision of the genus Peraeospinosus Sieg, 1986 (Crustacea : Peracarida : Tanaidacea)

Ten species, four new to science, five formerly belonging to genus Typhlotanais, and Peraeospinosus pushkini (Tzareva, 1982) are congeneric species, based on the following set of characters: a row of setae is present on the dorsal margin of the cheliped carpus, the distal seta of pereopods 4-5 exceeds the bifurcated unguis, large prickly tubercles on pereopods 4-6 surrounded by well-calcified spines, the pleopods semi-elliptical, and the rami of the uropod subequal in length. The new definition of the genus is proposed together with a key for identification of the females. The present-day distribution of the genus does not in itself indicate geographical origin, although the possibility of a deep-water origin cannot be excluded. It is assumed that phylogenetically young, blind Peraeospinosus could have colonized Antarctic free niches and then radiated.