General Description

Stalked eyes, carapace covering the head and most of the thorax. Rostrum small. Antennae 2 scale lateral margins with setae. Posterior margin of carapace excavate, pereonites 7, 8 exposed. Abdomen long, ending in a tail fan bearing pair of statocysts. Lateral edge of tail fan (telson) armed with spines. Up to 1 cm long.

Biology

This species remains to be described but can be identified as belonging to the genus Mysidetes. 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 37 m.

Seagrass meadows

Coastal shores

Distribution guide

Southern temperate oceans.

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

sp. MoV 618

Conservation Status

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