Crustacea, the Higher Taxa

J.K. Lowry

Caridea (Decapoda, Eucarida, Malacostraca)

Common name. Shrimps (Coral Shrimps, Snapping Shrimps).

Description. Head. Rostrum present or absent; head. articulated, or fused to head; orbital spines (frontal horns) present or absent, eyes stalked or absent, eyes paired and lateral or single and anterior; eyes compound, visual elements present; eyes ocular scale absent; eyes naupliar eyes present, or naupliar eyes absent. Antennules (antenna 1) triramous, or biramous; peduncle and flagellum distinct; endopod well developed; exopod well developed, whip-like; statocyst present. Antennae (antenna 2) biramous; exopod forming a scaphocerite. Mandible uniramous; palp present, or absent. Maxillipeds, 3 pairs; biramous, or uniramous. Thorax. Carapace present, univalved, enclosing head and thorax, laterally compressed or subcylindrical to cylindrical or dorsoventrally flattened, smooth or with spines. Sternum undivided (check). Thorax and abdomen differentiated. Peraeopods (legs) 5 pairs, or 4 pairs (Paracrangon has 4 pairs of peraeopods); biramous, or uniramous; non-phyllopodous; differentiated (some prehensile). Peraeopod 1 (leg 1) simple, or chelate, or subchelate. Peraeopod 2 (leg 2) chelate. Peraeopod 3 (leg 3) simple. Peraeopod 5 (leg 5) well developed. Abdomen with 6 somites. Epimera present, second epimeron overlapping first and third epimera. Pleopods present, 5 pairs; none modified into reproductive organ in males, or pleopod 1 forming a gonopod (eg. petasma) in males, or pleopod 2 forming a gonopod (eg. appendix masculina) in males. Uropods well developed, 1 pair, positioned ventrolaterally; rami present, exopod with diaresis, partial or complete or exopod without diaresis; endopod without statocyst. Telson present (not fused to pleon).

Larval development. Epimorphic, or metamorphic. Embryos attached to pleopods.

Habitat. Marine, brackish, freshwater or semiterrestrial; benthic or pelagic; free-living or commensal.

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/.