PORT PHILLIP BAY


Hinge-beak Shrimp 

Rhynchocinetes australis Hale, 1941

View scientific description and taxonomy

Scientific Details

Rostrum with 2 spaced dorsal teeth, up to 4 apical dorsal teeth, and up to 12 curved ventral teeth. Stylocerite reaches beyond distolateral angle of article 1 of antenna 1. Arthrobranchs absent from pereopods 3-5. Endopod of male pleopod 1 without lobe on lateral margin. Carapace with irregular longitudinal reddish stripes and white dots; antennal bases bright yellow; abdominal somites 1 and 2 each with transverse red stripe; abdominal somites 3-6 with longitudinal lateral white and red stripes.

Source: Poore, G.C.B. (2004) Marine decapod Crustacea of southern Australia. A guide to identification (with chapter on Stomatopoda by Shane Ahyong). CSIRO Publishing, Melbourne, 574 pp.

Taxonomy

Phylum:
Arthropoda
Subphylum:
Crustacea
Class:
Malacostraca
Subclass:
Eumalacostraca
Superorder:
Eucarida
Order:
Decapoda
Suborder:
Pleocyemata
Infraorder:
Caridea
Family:
Rhynchocinetidae
Genus:
Rhynchocinetes
Species:
australis

General Description

Body transparent with thin red lines and spots. Up to 7 cm long (head to tail tip).

Biology

Hinge-beak Shrimps can move the triangular piece of carapace between their eyes (rostrum) up and down. It is thought to be a threat display. Only three species from this group of shrimps occur in Australia.

Habitat

Rocky reefs, in crevices or among seaweed and seagrass, to depth of 25 m.

Reefs

Seagrass meadows

Coastal shores

Distribution guide

South Australia, Tasmanian and Victoria.

Species Group

Prawns, shrimps, lobsters › Shrimps

Depth

Shore (0-1 m)
Shallow (1-30 m)

Water Column

On or near sea floor

Max Size

7 cm

Diet

Carnivore

Commercial Species

No

Global Dispersal

Native to Australia

Species Code

MoV 1676

Conservation Status

  • DSE Advisory List : Not listed
  • EPBC Act 1999 : Not listed
  • IUCN Red List : Not listed

Author

article author Taylor, J.

Dr. Jo Taylor is the Sciences Collections Online Coordinator at Museum Victoria.

Author

article author Poore, G.C.B.

Dr. Gary Poore is Principal Curator Emeritus at Museum Victoria.

citation

Cite this page as:
Taylor, J. & Poore, G.C.B., 2011, Hinge-beak Shrimp, Rhynchocinetes australis, in Taxonomic Toolkit for marine life of Port Phillip Bay, Museum Victoria, accessed 25 Feb 2025, http://136.154.202.208:8098/species/4067

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