Crustacea, the Higher Taxa

J.K. Lowry


Mystacocarida (Maxillipoda)

Description. Head. Rostrum absent; eyes sessile; with simple ocelli; ocular scale absent; naupliar eyes absent. Antennules (antenna 1) uniramous; peduncle and flagellum indistinguishable; exopod well developed, whip-like. Antennae (antenna 2) biramous; exopod multiarticulate. Mandible biramous. Maxillipeds, 1 pair; biramous. Thorax. Carapace absent. Thorax and abdomen differentiated. Peraeopods (legs) 4 pairs; non-phyllopodous; differentiated (some prehensile). Abdomen with 6 somites. Epimera absent. Pleopods absent. Uropods well developed, 1 pair, positioned terminally or subterminally; rami absent; claw-like. Telson fused to pleon (pleotelson).

Larval development. Anamorphic (hatch as nauplii or metanauplii).

Habitat. Interstitial on intertidal and subtidal beaches.

Distribution. East coast of North America; west coast of South America; Mediterranean Sea; east and west coasts of Africa.

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/.