(Bate, 1858)
Description:
Rostrum straight or very slightly down turned, about half the length of carapace and slightly longer than antennular peduncle; five to ten dorsal teeth (usually seven or eight), one ventral tooth (rarely two or three).
Carapace with antennal spine.
Stylocerite narrow, acutely pointed, 0.66 x length of antennular peduncle or slightly less.
Scaphocerite outer border straight or slightly concave, apex acutely rounded with apical spine not exceeding lamellar portion. Antennal flagellum about 0.75 x length of body. Third maxilliped longer than scaphocerite by as much as last two joints; epipod and exopod present.
Mandible with molar and incisor process, and three-segmented palp.
Carpus of pereiopod 2 two- segmented, chelae long and slender. Pereiopods 1-4 with epipods, pereiopod 5 with reduced setobranch. Pleonite 4 usually without ventro-posterior tooth in female.
Telson with two pairs of lateral spines.
Size:
Length up to 27 mm.
Colour:
Carapace and pleon scattered with red chromatophores, darkest on rostrum, otherwise virtually transparent.
Habitat:
Down to 10-1,000 metres, usually 20-500 metres. Normally found on rocky, sandy or gravelly substrata. Adults may swim up into the water column. Ovigerous females occur from March to October.
Distribution in the North Sea:
All North Sea.
World distribution:
Ranges from Iceland and Norway southwards into the Bay of Biscay. In the W Atlantic, this species is known from Newfoundland to Chesapeake Bay.