Up to 7 species of doubtful validity (Laubitz, 1991): D. decacentrum Stebbing, 1910; D. elongata Stebbing, 1883; D. eltanine McCain and Gray, 1971; D. grandimana Guiler, 1954; D. hexacentrum Mayer, 1903; D. reducta Barnard, 1932; D. tasmaniensis Guiler, 1954. Guiler synonymised D. decacentrum with D. hexacentrum. McCain & Steinberg (1970) and Laubitz (1991) remarked that D. grandimana and D. tasmaniensis appeared to be variants of D. hexacentrum. Laubitz (1991) considered that D. eltaninae and D. reducta are synonymous with D. elongata. Could be only 2 species: D. elongata and D. hexacentrum. I. Takeuchi considers D. hexacentrum and D. decacentrum to be valid species & Guerra-García considers D. tasmaniensis to be valid also.
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.
