General Description

Rostrum (protrusion between eye stalks) prominent, broad at base, without dorsal teeth and with 2-6 ventral teeth. Carapace with small spine above orbit of eye. Fifth segment of second leg with 3 articles (beadlike sub-sections of the leg). Legs without gills (arthrobranchs). Abdominal somite (section) 6 without articulating posterolateral corner. Up to 2.5 cm long.

Biology

The Weed Shrimp is common but its coloration is an effective disguise. The colour varies depending upon the seaweed on which it lives; solidly bright green on green algae and deep red on red algae. They are probably algal browsers freely moving among their habitat. They usually walk on their legs but can use the strong muscular abdomen and tail fan combined to reverse the shrimp quickly out of danger. This behaviour is common to most caridean shrimps.

Distribution

Southern temperate oceans, including southern Australia.

Habitat

Subtidal to 124 m depth.

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