PORT PHILLIP BAY


Opossum Shrimp 

Paranchialina angusta (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, triangular, acute. Antenna 2 scale length 2:1 to 5:1 x width, lateral margins without setae, without spines, medial margins without spines, distal margin rounded, distal spine present, apical suture present, spine on outer distal corner absent. Labrum with medial process; medial process with setae. Body smooth. Pereopod 3 forming a pereopod. Pleopod 2 biramous, pseudobranchial rami straight. Pleopod 4 biramous; endopod shorter than exopod; exopod with 11 articles, second last article shorter than third last article, second last article slightly shorter than third last article. Uropod endopod diaresis absent, robust setae present on entire medial margin, slender setae present; exopod diaresis present, 2 robust setae present, slender setae present on distal quarter of lateral margin. Telson longer than broad, distally truncate, cleft or notched 20-30%, without plumose setae, robust setae present along distal half to two thirds of 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:
Gastrosaccinae
Genus:
Paranchialina
Species:
angusta

General Description

Stalked eyes, carapace covering the head and most of the thorax. Spine at anterodistal corner of eye stalk absent. Rostrum triangular, acute. Antenna 2 scale shorter than antenna 1 peduncle. Uropod exopod much longer than endopod. Abdomen long, ending in a tail fan bearing pair of statocysts. Telson cleft or notched with robust setae present along distal half to two thirds of outer margins. Up to 1.5 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 100 m.

Seagrass meadows

Distribution guide

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

Native to Australia

Species Code

MoV 1014

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, Paranchialina angusta, in Taxonomic Toolkit for marine life of Port Phillip Bay, Museum Victoria, accessed 09 Oct 2024, http://136.154.202.208:8098/species/5546

Text: creative commons cc by licence