(Montagu, 1815)
Description
— Generic. Head much shorter than high, with truncated front. Female with very short antannae (a1, a2) of equal length. Pereion of female humped.
Mandible with large and minutely striated molar process; last two segments of mandibular palp of equal length. Maxillar palp spatula-shaped, but not very broad. Outer plate of maxilliped broad lancet-shaped, the inner margin with bundles of short chaeta. Carpus of first gnathopod sometimes, and carpus of second gnathopod always with process, together with propodus forming a sort of chela. Carpus of second gnathopod with longer process than the carpus of first gnathopod.
Pereiopods 3-7 short, firm, and of about equal shape. Uropods broad, with wide branches. Telson large.
— Specific. Sexually dimorphic: female body short and compact, with very broad pereion; male body slender, with much longer pleon than in female. Pigment spots in eyes kidney-shaped arranged. Pleon with distally pointed epimeres.
Gnathopods rather small, shorter than pereiopods 3-7, beset with few strong saetae; basis about twice as long as wide. Postero-ventral margin of carpus of both gnathopods elongated and pointed as a fixed finger, but on first gnathopod short compared to second gnathopod. Both gnathopods with its propodus distally narrowed and minutely serrated hind margin. Dactylus slender, with serrated hind margin.
Pereiopods 3-7 almost completely naked; hind margin of carpus of pereiopods 3-4 with few short spines.
Uropods of male wider than of females.
Colour
Red-yellow
Size
Length of male 12 mm, female 14 mm.
Depth range
Surface - 2000 m.
Possible hosts in the North Sea
Medusae, Rhizostoma pulmo, Aurelia aurita, Cyanea capillata, Chrysaora hyoscella, Pelagia, Tima bairdi, Melicertum, Leukartiara (all Phylum Cnidaria), Order Salpida (Subphylum Tunicata), Beroe (Phylum Ctenophora). See for references Harbison et al., 1977.
Distribution in the North Sea
Northern North Sea
World distribution
N Atlantic Ocean (from Arctic to tropical waters), including Mediterranean; N Pacific Ocean.