Smith, 1884
Description
Rostrum a regular prolongation of the carapace [and not a post-frontal spine], acute and unarmed.
Carapace about half as long as the abdomen and telson together; dorsally arched behind the rostrum and carinate over the full length; the anterior third of the carina depressed and dorsally sulcate. The anterior margin of the carapace is almost straight below the orbital notch and bears a minute point between the insertions of the antennae and the antennules. Carapace with a well marked lateral carina running across the inferior margin to the posterior edge.
Eyes 2/5 as long as the antennal scale; cornea scarcely as wide as the stalk.
Antennular peduncle reaching beyond the proximal half of the antennal scale.
Antennal scale about 3.5 times longer than wide, with convex outer margin and produced distally into a strong spine which reaches beyond the narrow apex of the lamellar protion of the scale.
Mandibular palp with two segments.
All five pereiopods with exopods which decrease in length from P1 to P5. Pereiopods 1 reaching beyond the antennal scale by more than the half of the propodus; P1-2 both with slender chelae, with pectinate cutting edges of the “fingers”. Pereiopod 3 very slender, the propodus just twice the length of the ischium, but less than two third of the length of the merus; both carpus and dactylus very short. Pereiopods 4-5 short and slender.
Abdominal somites all dorsally rounded, except for the fourth, which has shows a trace of a keel and a small dorsal-caudal point extending over segment 5. Abdominal segment 6 less than two third of the length of segment 5, and more than half as deep as long.
Telson about half as long as segment 6, dorsally sulcate, tapering into a narrow rounded apex, armed with eight spines of which the outer pair is the longest.
Colour
Bright scarlet red with numerous darker red chromatophores (in life).
Size
Largest (?) body length recorded 83 mm.
Depth range
Mesopelagic.
Distribution in the North Sea
Possibly to be found in the entrance of the northern North Sea.
World distribution
NE Atlantic Ocean (including Faeroer Channel, Shetland, N Scotland); W Atlantic Ocean.
[After Kemp, 1910]