Diagnosis
A recently described taxon from anchialine caves in the West Indies and Central America. Many of the cave systems in which they occur have been geologically isolated for >30 million years and so these species probably represent archaic relict lineages. The Deeveyinae seem to provide a link between the pelagic sub-families and the Thaumatocyprididae, which is a predominantly deep abyssal benthic family but containing a few troglobitic species, and which has a long fossil record. The family is distinguished by having eight podomeres to the first antenna, the sixth limb bearing large distal processes on the first exopodite podomere, the seventh limb carrying three setae, and in some species the frontal organ having a bifid capitulum. The limb structures of the species show marked similarities to those of the Thaumatocyprididae, but the caudal furca is halocyprid in type, and is unlike the thaumatocyprid type (i.e., with two large hook setae and the rest small).
Genera
Two known genera:- Deeveyae (six spp.) and Spelaeoecia (three spp.). These two genera are readily separated on the basis of the development of the rostrum, which is Conchoecia -like in Spelaeoecia , but undeveloped in Deeveyae . Also, Spelaeoecia males have a hook appendage on the endopodites of the second antenna but hook appendages are absent in Deeveyae males. One species of Spelaeoecia is known from caves in Bermuda and three from caves on the Bahamas. All six of the Deeveyae species occur in caves on the Bahamas.