A closeup of the same individual as above. Notice the amber eye, which has very little pigment, and the thin, filmy exoskeleton through which the animal's yellowish muscles can be seen.
This side view of a preserved specimen shows the rostrum which extends well beyond the corneas of the eyes and even exceeds the peduncle of the first antenna. Note also the pereopods. Oplophorids, unlike most other families of true shrimp, has exopods (exopodites) on its pereopods. The exopodites of the pereopods are short, curved backward and used for swimming. The endopodites of the pereopods are longer, extended forward, and used for manipulating objects. The eye pigment in Hymenodora is always pale, even in living specimens.
This is a closeup dorsal view of the telson and uropods. The uropods are shorter than the telson and fringed with long setae. The telson is truncate (not rounded) on the end, with two long spines at the corners (one of which is broken off on this individual). Photo of a preserved individual.
A female Hymenodora frontalis carrying eggs. Caught 1000-1500 m depth off Pt. Conception, CA. Note the yellowish eye, almost devoid of black pigment, and the large egg size. (Photo by: Dave Cowles, May 1995)
