| Stygotantulus | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Crustacea |
| Class: | Maxillopoda |
| Subclass: | Tantulocarida |
| Family: | Basipodellidae |
| Genus: |
Stygotantulus Boxshall & Huys, 1989 |
| Species: | S. stocki |
| Binomial name | |
|
Stygotantulus stocki Boxshall & Huys, 1989 |
|
Stygotantulus stocki is a species of crustacean, living as an ectoparasite on harpacticoid copepods of the families Tisbidae and Canuellidae. It is one of the smallest arthropods in the world, at a length of less than 0.1 millimetres (0.004 in). The specific epithet stocki commemorates Jan Hendrik Stock, a Dutch carcinologist. Another contender for the world's smallest arthropod is Tantulacus dieteri, with a total body length of only 85 micrometres (0.0033 in).