Length: 10-23 mm. Cephalon smooth; pereonite 2 with small pair spines dorsal to insertions of gnathopods 2 and anteriorly directed long pair of spines at posterior end; pereonite 3 with 2 pairs short spines medianly and 1 pair anteriorly directed long spines at posterior end; pereonite 4 with 3 pairs short spines medianly and a single anteriorly directed projection at posterior end; pereonite 5 with 2 pairs projections (median and posterior); pereonites 6 with 3 pairs small projections; pereonite 7 with a single pair of small projections. Antenna 1 a little longer than ½ body length; antenna 2 shorter than antenna 1 peduncle. Gnathopod 2 propodus with proximal grasping spine and accessory spine, distal ‘tooth’ and triangular projection. Gills elongate.
Sea of Japan: Sakhalin Is., China, Japan, Vladivostok.
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.
One of the most common Caprellid species in northern Japan.
