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Diagnostic Description

provided by Caprellids LifeDesk

Length: 10mm. Body, antenna and pereopods with many small tubercles, each with sensory hair. Head with blunt projection curved forward above eye; pereonites 2-4 with antero-lateral projections; pereonites 5 - 7 with a pair of small dorsal projections. Antenna 1 about 1/3 of body length (short and plump); antenna 2 a little longer than antenna 1 peduncle. Gnathopod 2 attached to median of pereonite 2; propodus with distal small projection and notch. Gills round. Pereopods 5 - 7 with grasping spines.

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Ashton, Gail
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Ashton, Gail
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Distribution

provided by Caprellids LifeDesk

Putjatin Island and Possjet Bay, Sea of Japan

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Ashton, Gail
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Ashton, Gail
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Caprellids LifeDesk

General Description

provided by Caprellids LifeDesk

Caprellid, “Ghost” or “Skeleton” shrimps, so called for their skeletal appearance. Amphipod crustaceans, easily distinguished by the elongate stick-like body form and reduction of the abdominal appendages. Head is generally fused with pereonite 1. Pereopods on first 2 segments (pereonites) are most flexible and called gnathopods; gnathopods 2 being the largest, used in defense, feeding and substrate attachment. In many species pereopods 3 and 4 may also be reduced or absent. Gills on pereonites 3 + 4, rarely on pereonite 2. Pereopods 5 - 7 much smaller than 1 + 2, used for clinging to the substratum. In females, brood plates (öostegites) develop on pereonites 3 + 4. Much remains to be learnt about their biology, ecology and in many cases changing distributions.

license
cc-by-nc
copyright
Ashton, Gail
author
Ashton, Gail
partner site
Caprellids LifeDesk