Crustacea, the Higher Taxa

J.K. Lowry


Mictacea (Peracarida, Malacostraca)

Description. Head. Rostrum absent; eyes stalked or absent; visual elements absent; ocular scale absent; naupliar eyes absent. Antennules (antenna 1) biramous; peduncle and flagellum distinct; endopod reduced, vestigial or absent; exopod well developed, whip-like. Antennae (antenna 2) biramous; exopod forming a scaphocerite (?). Mandible uniramous; palp present. Maxillipeds, 1 pair; uniramous. Thorax. Carapace present, univalved, enclosing head and anterior thoracic somites (check), reduced (small lateral folds cover bases of maxillae and maxillipeds), smooth. Thorax and abdomen differentiated. Peraeopods (legs) 7 pairs; biramous; non-phyllopodous; undifferentiated (simple). Abdomen with 6 somites. Epimera present. Pleopods present, 5 pairs; reduced. Uropods 1 pair, positioned ventrolaterally; rami present, exopod without diaresis; endopod without statocyst. Telson present (not fused to pleon).

Larval development. Embryos carried in ventral thoracic brood pouch.

Habitat. Marine deep sea; anchialine caves.

Distribution. North Atlantic and South-western Pacific.

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/.