Raphinesque-Schmaltz, 1815
Rostrum small, reduced or absent, never with teeth or spines. Carapace sometimes with supra-orbital and pterygostomian spines, but without antennal spine. The anterior projections of the carapace usually form a hood over the eyes and partially or completely concealing them in dorsal view. Eyes with short stalks.
Mandible with a two-segmented palp and incisor process. The seventh joint of the second maxilliped is laterally attached to the sixth joint. The third maxilliped has an exopod; epipod present or absent.
First pereiopod usually long, with robust chela, often asymmetrical especially in male. Second pereiopod usually with a five-segmented carpus, minutely chelate. Third, fourth, or fifth pereiopod may have dactylus modified as a bifid claw.
Telson tongue-shaped, usually rather short and broad. Some genera have an articulated process at the base of the uropod.
Ecology
Alpheids are benthic.
Distribution in the North Sea
One alpheid species is known from the area
¥ Athanas nitescens (Leach, 1814), reported from the Southern North Sea and off W Norway.
[Description after Smaldon, 1993; Zariquiey Alvarez, 1968; distribution after Hamond, 1971; Hansson, 1998b]