Crustacea, the Higher Taxa

J.K. Lowry

Stenopodidea (Decapoda, Eucarida, Malacostraca)

Common name. Cleaner Shrimps.

Description. Head. Rostrum present; eyes stalked; compound, visual elements present; ocular scale absent; naupliar eyes absent. Antennules (antenna 1) biramous; peduncle and flagellum distinct; endopod well developed; exopod well developed, whip-like. Antennae (antenna 2) biramous; exopod forming a scaphocerite. Mandible uniramous; palp present. Maxillipeds, 3 pairs; biramous. Thorax. Carapace present, univalved, enclosing head and thorax, subcylindrical to cylindrical, with spines. Sternum undivided (check). Thorax and abdomen differentiated. Peraeopods (legs) 5 pairs; uniramous; non-phyllopodous; differentiated (some prehensile). Peraeopod 1 (leg 1) chelate. Peraeopod 2 (leg 2) chelate. Peraeopod 3 (leg 3) chelate, greatly enlarged. Abdomen with 6 somites. Epimera present. Pleopods present, 5 pairs; well developed, narrow and rounded; pleopod 2 forming a gonopod (eg. appendix masculina) in males. Uropods well developed, 1 pair, positioned ventrolaterally; rami present, exopod without diaresis; endopod without statocyst. Telson present (not fused to pleon).

Larval development. Metamorphic. Embryos attached to pleopods.

Habitat. Marine; tropical and subtropical shallow water reefs and hard bottoms; frequently commensal.

Remarks. Stenopodideans, referred to as cleaner shrimps, are often found in the open on coral reefs where they clean ectoparasites off fish.

Distribution. Tropical and subtropical shallow water seas 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/.