PORT PHILLIP BAY


Opossum Shrimp 

Australomysis incisa (Sars, 1883)

View scientific description and taxonomy

Scientific Details

Eyes stalked, with visual elements, ommatidia not divided into separate regions, spine at anterodistal corner of eye stalk absent; rostrum present, narrowly rounded, spines on lateral margins absent. Antenna 2 scale length 2:1 to 5:1 x width, longer than antenna 1 peduncle, lateral margins with setae, without spines, medial margins without spines, distal margin rounded, distal spine absent, apical suture present. Terminal brush of setae present on pereon. Uropod endopod diaresis absent, robust setae present, from statocyst nearly to the apex of medial margin, slender setae present, endopod and exopod subequal in length; exopod diaresis absent, robust setae absent, slender setae present, below diaresis. Telson longer than broad, distally truncate, cleft or notched less than 20%, without plumose setae, robust setae present along entire inner and outer margins with a median gap.

Source: Yerman, M. & J.K. Lowry, 2007. Australian Mysidacea. Version 1 March 2007. http://www.crustacea.net.

Taxonomy

Phylum:
Arthropoda
Subphylum:
Crustacea
Class:
Malacostraca
Subclass:
Eumalacostraca
Superorder:
Peracarida
Order:
Mysida
Family:
Mysidae
Subfamily:
Mysinae
Genus:
Australomysis
Species:
incisa

General Description

Stalked eyes, carapace covering the head and most of the thorax. Lateral margin of rostrum without spines. Abdomen long, ending in a tail fan bearing pair of statocysts. Translucent except for small black chromatophores and the pair of black eyes. Up to 1.5 cm long.

Biology

Opossum shrimps are so-called because they carry their eggs and young in a marsupium-like pouch. The young which hatch from it are miniatures of the adults. The legs are more adapted for swimming than walking and each has two branches. Hundreds or thousands of individuals often swarm quite close to the sea floor and can be seen while snorkelling over sand or seagrass.

Habitat

Shallow water and seagrass beds, to depths of 85 m.

Seagrass meadows

Open water

Coastal shores

Distribution guide

East Indian Ocean, southern temperate oceans including south-eastern Australia.

Species Group

Prawns, shrimps, lobsters › Mysids

Depth

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

Water Column

On or near sea floor Midwater

Max Size

15 mm

Diet

Plankton or Particles

Commercial Species

No

Global Dispersal

Recorded in Australia

Species Code

MoV 617

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, Opossum Shrimp, Australomysis incisa, in Taxonomic Toolkit for marine life of Port Phillip Bay, Museum Victoria, accessed 25 Feb 2025, http://136.154.202.208:8098/species/5539

Text: creative commons cc by licence