(Kröyer, 1838)
Description
Female body short, dorsally somewhat upheaved; male body slender, laterally compressed, similar as Hyperia species. Pereion humped; pleon relatively slender, epimeres small in female. Head semi-globular, frontally rounded.
Female antennula (a1) longer than antenna (a2).
Mandible with sharp triangular molar process. Maxilla with very broad leaf-like palp.
Gnathopods similar, almost smooth, with clear chela. Carpus with fixed finger not shorter than propodus (movable finger of the chela). Propodus narrow and pointed, with serrated inner margin. Dactylus short.
Pereiopods 3-4 with slightly widened carpus, with minutely serrated hind margin and ending in a short triangular extension.
Pereiopods 5-7 similar in shape, not longer than pereiopods 3-4; completely smooth; basis rather narrow.
Uropod 3: peduncle about twice as long as the telson; uropod 3 broader in male than in female.
Colour
Female bright red-brown; male red brown, but appearing greyish due to many black pigment spots.
Size
Length 5-6 mm (Arctic species max. 15 mm).
Depth
Surface - 250 m.
Possible hosts in the North Sea
Medusae, Cyanea capillata, Aurelia aurita (all Phylum Cnidaria), Pleurobrachia pileus, Beroe cucumis (both Phylum Ctenophora). See for references Harbison et al., 1977.
Distribution in the North Sea
Possibly northern North Sea.
World distribution
N Atlantic Ocean, Arctic and boreal waters.