(Bate and Westwood, 1862)
Description:
Body robust; coxal plates 2 and 3 only slightly narrowing distally with distal margins convex, plate 4 much larger than rest. Head with a large rostrum reaching beyond the mid-point of peduncle article 1 of antenna 1; eyes large and rounded. Antenna 1 and 2 with finer setae than in Pontocrates arenarius . Female antenna 1 peduncle slender, article 2 about twice length of 3, flagellum shorter than peduncle, about 10-articulate and reaching only little beyond end of peduncle of antenna 2. Male antenna 1 flagellum with tuft of long setae proximally. Female antenna 2 peduncle slender and little longer than flagellum. Male antenna 2 filiform, longer than body. Gnathopod 1 carpal lobe broadly rounded distally and extending only little beyond proximal palmar angle of propodus, apex of carpal lobe with stout spine, palm convex and strongly oblique and much more than half length of posterior margin of propodus, palmar margin setose. Gnathopod 2 very slender, elongate, carpal lobe reaching well beyond end of propodus, apex narrowly rounded. Pereiopods 3 and 4 less robust than in Pontocrates arenarius , propodus elongate and tapering proximally, dactylus minute. Pereiopods 5 and 6 densely setose, propodus quite slender, dactylus minute. Pereiopod 7 basis with posterior margin broadly rounded. Uropods slender, spinose. Telson rounded.
Size:
Up to 7 mm.
Colour:
Whitish or yellowish, with distinctive darkish brown patches on body.
Habitat:
Depth range from 5 to 100 metres; locally common.
Distribution:
North Sea; English Channel; Atlantic coast of Europe from southern Norway to northern France.