Length: 7-12mm. Head with anteriorly directed triangular projection, body smooth otherwise. Pleura developed on pereonites 3 and 4 in larger males. Antenna 1 peduncle inflated in males, sparsely setose. Gnathopod 1 robust, dactylus serrate, propodus with 2 proximal grasping spines. Gnathopod 2 propodus with proximal poison tooth and distal rectangular projection, palm densely setose; dactylus strong and constricted medially, distal end slightly serrate. Gills oval and usually quite large and inflated. Pereopods 5 - 7 propodus with 2 median grasping spines, palm convex. Females differ in gnathopod 2 with proximal poison tooth, distal projection and small mid-distal projections; gills more elliptical
North Sea; Netherlands; Belgium; Portugal; Mediterranean Spain; France; Italy; Aegean Sea; Tokyo; Honolulu; Sea of Japan; Korean Strait; Japan; New Jersey (Ocean City); Bay of Biscay
Caprellid, “Ghost” or “Skeleton” shrimps, so called for their skeletal appearance. Amphipod crustaceans, easily distinguished by the elongate stick-like body form and reduction of the abdominal appendages. Head is generally fused with pereonite 1. Pereopods on first 2 segments (pereonites) are most flexible and called gnathopods; gnathopods 2 being the largest, used in defense, feeding and substrate attachment. In many species pereopods 3 and 4 may also be reduced or absent. Gills on pereonites 3 + 4, rarely on pereonite 2. Pereopods 5 - 7 much smaller than 1 + 2, used for clinging to the substratum. In females, brood plates (öostegites) develop on pereonites 3 + 4. Much remains to be learnt about their biology, ecology and in many cases changing distributions.
Often attaches to floating objects- thus isolated from other members of the former ‘acutifrons’ group.
Originally part of the compound species C. acutifrons Mayer 1890; now many of these forms are considered full species. Similar to C. penantis, differing most obviously in having a convex palm, with medial grasping spines on propodus of pereopods 5 - 7.
National Museum of Natural History, Washington DC: (NMNH) 113051
