General Description

First antenna not strongly geniculAte, joints not at all globose. Basis of pereopod 1 with distal lobe. Pleon not ridged. Telson fused to pleonite 6, tesonic somite well produced posteriorly.

Biology

Cumaceans burrow into the surface of sandy and muddy sediments but can also be found in the sediment trapped among macroalgae. At night especially cumaceans can be active swimmers in the open water and this is probably where mating occurs. Food is obtained by filtering water just above the sediment and grazing on the surface of sand grains. Cumaceans can be dug out of sandy sediment but the most effective way of catching them is by attracting them to lights at night.

Habitat

Mud, fine silt, clay and sand, to depths of 75 m..

Soft substrates

Distribution guide

Southern temperate oceans, including Australia and New Zealand.

Species Group

Microcrustaceans › Cumaceans

Depth

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

Water Column

On or near sea floor

Max Size

9 mm

Diet

Organic matter

Commercial Species

No

Global Dispersal

Recorded in Australia

Species Code

MoV 42

Conservation Status

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