PORT PHILLIP BAY


Tasmanian Opossum Shrimp 

Tenagomysis tasmaniae Fenton, 1991

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, triangular, acute, 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, spine on outer distal corner absent. Labrum symmetrical. Body smooth. Pereopod 3 forming a pereopod, with carpus and propodus fused and subdivided, terminal brush of setae present. Pleopod 1 uniramous or rudimentary. Pleopods 2-4 biramous. Pleopod 4 endopod with multiple articles, endopod shorter than exopod; exopod with 7 articles, second last article longer than third last article, second last article more than double the length shorter. Uropod endopod diaresis absent, robust setae present, 40 setae from statocyst nearly to the apex of medial margin, slender setae present, exopod much longer than endopod; exopod diaresis absent, robust setae absent, slender setae present, below diaresis. Telson longer than broad, distally angled and convex, cleft or notched less than 20%, with two plumose setae, robust setae present along entire inner and outer margins.

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:
Tenagomysis
Species:
tasmaniae

General Description

Stalked eyes, carapace covering the head and most of the thorax. Rostrum triangular, sub-acute. Antenna 2 without spine on outer distal corner. Antenna 2 scale longer than antenna 1 peduncle. Abdomen long, ending in a tail fan bearing pair of statocysts. Telson with 2 plumose setae, lateral edge armed with spines. Up to 1 cm long.

Biology

Opossum shrimps are so-called because they carry their eggs and young in a marsupium-like pouch. Mysids can form large shoals in shallow waters, thus are an abundant food source for both adult and juvenile coastal fish.

Habitat

Shallow water and seagrass beds, to depths of 82 m.

Seagrass meadows

Coastal shores

Distribution guide

Southern temperate oceans. Eastern Central Pacific. South Pacific. West Central Pacific.

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

1 cm

Diet

Plankton or Particles

Commercial Species

No

Global Dispersal

Recorded in Australia

Species Code

MoV 1011

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, Tasmanian Opossum Shrimp, Tenagomysis tasmaniae, in Taxonomic Toolkit for marine life of Port Phillip Bay, Museum Victoria, accessed 26 Jun 2025, http://136.154.202.208:8098/species/5548

Text: creative commons cc by licence