Length: 6-17mm. Extremely long and slender. Head bearing acute frontal spine; pereonite 2 with pair of minute tubercles dorsal to insertions of gnathopods 2. Antenna 1 extremely long, a little shorter than body length; antenna 2 a little shorter than peduncle of antenna 1 peduncle. Gnathopod 1 propodus palm setose and with grasping spines. Gnathopod 2 attached to posterior end of pereonite 2; propodus elongate, median spine, distal long ‘tooth’ and large triangular projection. Gills elongate. Pereopods 5 - 7 propodus with grasping spines.
Japan; California
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.
Japanese species introduced to southern California harbors
