Crustacea, the Higher Taxa

J.K. Lowry


Cumacea (Peracarida, Malacostraca)

Description. Head. Rostrum present or absent; pseudorostrum present; eyes sessile or absent, eyes paired and lateral or contiguous or fused dorsally; eyes compound, visual elements present; eyes ocular scale absent; eyes naupliar eyes absent. Antennules (antenna 1) biramous, or uniramous; peduncle and flagellum distinct; endopod reduced, vestigial or absent; exopod well developed, whip-like. Antennae (antenna 2) uniramous; exopod multiarticulate. Mandible uniramous; palp absent. Maxillipeds, 3 pairs; biramous, or uniramous. Thorax. Carapace present, univalved, enclosing head and anterior thoracic somites, laterally compressed, smooth. Thorax and abdomen differentiated. Peraeopods (legs) 5 pairs; biramous, or uniramous; non-phyllopodous; undifferentiated (simple). Abdomen with 6 somites. Epimera present or absent. Pleopods present or absent, 5 pairs or 4 pairs or 3 pairs or 2 pairs or 1 pair. Uropods well developed, 1 pair, positioned ventrolaterally or positioned terminally or subterminally; rami present, exopod with diaresis, partial or complete or exopod without diaresis; endopod without statocyst. Telson present (not fused to pleon), or fused to pleon (pleotelson).

Larval development. Epimorphic. Embryos carried in ventral thoracic brood pouch.

Habitat. Marine benthic.

Distribution. Worldwide.

Cite this publication as: Lowry, J.K. (1999 onwards). 'Crustacea, the Higher Taxa: Description, Identification, and Information Retrieval.' Version: 2 October 1999. https://crustacea.net/.