Hansen, 1916
Diagnosis
Eyes absent. The basal article of the antennule is large and flat. Antenna longer than body; flagellum with many articles. The peraeon of somites 1-4 are each as wide as, but shorter than those of somites 5-7, which lack coxal plates and which, though distinct, are more or less immovably fused. Pereaeopods 1-4 slender; peraeopods 5-7 with carpus and propus paddle-like (much wider than the basal articles), with terminal dactylus and fringed with plumose setae. The uropods are ventrally positioned, biramous and barely visible in dorsal view.
Within the family, there was only one genus for all species, Eurycope. However, other genera were erected later: Munneurycope Stephensen, 1912, Munnopsurus Richardson, 1912, Tytthocope Wilson & Hessler, 1981, Disconectes Wilson & Hessler, 1981, and Baeonectes Wilson, 1982.
The Family Eurycopidae consists of deep-sea species, which are unlikely to be found in the pelagos of the North Sea and are therefore not keyed-out. The nearby NE Atlantic species are:
¥ Munneurycope murrayi Walker, 1903; known as pelagic and recorded off W Ireland, S Iceland and SW Faroer.
¥ Eurycope cornuta G.O. Sars, 1864
¥ Eurycope producta G.O. Sars, 1864
¥ Tytthocope megalura (G.O. Sars, 1872)
¥ Tytthocope pygmaea (G.O. Sars, 1870)
¥ Disconectes phalangium (G.O. Sars, 1864)
¥ Disconectes furcutus (G.O. Sars, 1870) (=Eurycope furcuta )
¥ Baeonectes muticus (G.O. Sars, 1864) (=Eurycope mutica )