(Costa, 1853)
Description:
Urosome segment 1 with a small angular or rounded keel. Epimeral plate 3 posterodistal angle with a large tooth, posterior margin strongly sinuous. Head with the ventral margin strongly concave. Female antenna 1 very short, not reaching the end of article 4 of antenna 2, peduncle article 2 about equal in length to article 1, flagellum up to about 10-articulate; antenna 1 in male reaching a little beyond the peduncle article 4 of antenna 2. Antenna 2 in female very slender, about half the body length, about 20-articulate; in male equal to the body length with the peduncle very slender, peduncle article 4 longer than article 5. Pereiopod 3 merus with a large anterodistal lobe; pereiopods 3 and 4 dactylus longer than the carpus and propodus together. Pereiopod 7 basis shorter than rest of the appendage, ischium shorter than the merus, merus with a large setose distal lobe overlapping the small carpus, anterodistal margin of the carpus produced and spinose, propodus large and oval. Uropods 1 and 2 with small marginal spines. Telson elongate, cleft to two-thirds of the length, each lobe with several small dorsal setules.
Size:
Up to 12 mm.
Colour:
Whitish, speckled with dark brown; head and anterior pereiopods speckled with yellow.
Habitat:
Depth range from 0 to 200 metres, most common on fine sand mixed with shell, also on coarse sand and gravel.
Distribution:
North-East Atlantic, south and west Norway; Öresund, North Sea; Atlantic coast of Europe and North Africa; Mediterranean; Indian Ocean; Pacific Ocean.