Body very much elongated, slender and completely smooth. No head spine. Gills elliptical and quite elongate. Antenna 1 ½ length of body; Antenna 2 2/3 length of Antenna 1; no setae. Gnathopod 2 propodus a right triangle in outline; palm with a pair of grasping spines proximally and minutely denticulate; whole gnathopod bearing a number of setae. Gnathopod 2 attached anteriorly; palm of propodus with a small tooth at base, which in turn, bears a single grasping spine, another tooth in middle of palm, separated by a small cleft from a slight concavity which is densely set with hairs; dactyl curved and also bearing a concavity on middle third of inner surface which is also set with hairs. Appendages on pereonites 3 and 4 each consist of 1 segment, attached to base of gills. Pereopod 5 inserted near the mid-length of pereonite 5. Pereopods 5 - 7 with grasping spines proximally.
California
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.
Deeper offshore waters (300+ fathoms)
McCain 1968: "should probably be transferred to Triliropus" based on lack of swimming setae on antenna 2 and because pereopod 5 is inserted near to the mid-length of pereonite 5.
