Sars, 1863
Description:
Telson large, with more than two apical spines. Carapace with antennal notch fairly well excavated. Antenna 2 of male with flagellum short, prehensile. Pereiopod 1 with basis not much shorter than rest of appendage. Male without pleopods.
Carapace short with three oblique folds on either side. Pseudorostrum short and blunt. Eyes well developed. Pereionites 2 and 3 long. Male antenna 2 about half as long as the body. Telson rapidly tapering in female with five apical spines of which the outer pair and the median are much larger than the intermediate pair, and one or two slender spines on either side.
Pereiopods 3 and 4 of female with rudimentary exopods two-segmented but fairly prominent. In life a broad band of dark violet-brown is present on the carapace with narrower bands on the pereion and pleon.
Size:
Length of female up to 9 mm, of male up to 7 mm.
Habitat:
Found on sand in shallow water.
Depth range:
Down to about 70 metres.
Distribution in the North Sea:
Southern and northern North Sea.
World distribution:
A boreal species around the British Isles and northwards to N Norway.