General Description
Rostrum short; claws (chelipeds) unequal in size, moveable finger of the smaller claw is longer than the fixed finger; tail fan semicircular in shape, much shorter than the oval branches of the uropod. Body up to 2.5 cm length.
Biology
As the common name would suggest, this ghost shrimp was previously only known from Western Port however there is one record of the species from Swan Bay at the mouth of Port Phillip Bay. As in most ghost shrimps the claws are unequal but in this species alone, the moveable finger of the smaller claw is longer than the fixed finger. The species (as Eucalliax tooradin) was listed as "vulnerable" under IUCN criteria.
Habitat
Intertidal mudflats and down to 3 m depth.
Soft substrates
Distribution guide
Southern temperate oceans.
Species Group
Prawns, shrimps, lobsters › Ghost and mud shrimps
Depth
Water Column
Max Size
25 mm
Diet
Organic matter
Harmful
Not harmful but a nip from large claws could be painful
Commercial Species
No
Global Dispersal
Native to Australia
Species Code
MoV 1595
Conservation Status
- DSE Advisory List : Vulnerable
- EPBC Act 1999 : Not listed
- IUCN Red List : Not listed
Author
Dr. Jo Taylor is the Sciences Collections Online Coordinator at Museum Victoria.
Author
Dr. Gary Poore is Principal Curator Emeritus at Museum Victoria.
Cite this page as:
Taylor, J. & Poore, G.C.B., 2011, Western Port Ghost Shrimp, Calliax tooradin, in Taxonomic Toolkit for marine life of Port Phillip Bay, Museum Victoria, accessed 21 Sep 2024, http://136.154.202.208:8098/species/5528
