In this ventral view of the anterior half of the body, the gnathopods present at the anterior end of pereonite 1 and at the posterior end of pereonite 2 are visible. It has no gills on either of these pereonites.
In this ventral view of the posterior half of the body (head is to right), the flat leaflike gills can be seen on midsections of pereonites 3 and 4 (part of the second gnathopods can be seen at the right on pereonite 2). Ahead of each gill is a small bump which is the vestigial pereopod for that pereonite. Pereonites 5-7 on the left have well-developed pereopods which act as claws to attach the animal to the eelgrass.
This view shows pereonites 3 and 4 closer up (the end of pereonite 2 with ghathopod 2 is visible to the right). On each of pereonites 3 and 4 a small, 1-article vestigial pereopod can be seen projecting from near the front of the article and a leaflike gill projects from farther back. Note the large dorsal, forward-directed spine on both pereonite 3 and 4.
In this lateral view of the head and antennae 2, the long setae on antennae 2 can be seen. The next to last article of antenna 2 is about 6x as long as wide and has setae at least 2x as long as the article is wide. Notice also the large, single dorsal spine on the head and the small first gnathopods at the anterior end of pereonite 1. The large first antennae are extending upward out of the picture.
Tritella pilimana found on eelgrass on March Point, Padilla Bay June 2007. Total length not including antennae = 2.4 cm. (Photo by: Dave Cowles July 2007)
