Spirontocaris ochotensis (Brandt, 1851)
A benthic shrimp of the Arctic and extreme northern Pacific
Size
- Male total length 22 mm
- Female total length 46 mm
Color & Characteristics
- Variable, often with large white patches contrasting with dark background. May be camouflaged in life
- Rostrum oval in outline, carapace with 2 supraorbital teeth and dorsal teeth on anterior half only
- Meri of posterior walking legs with at most 3 spines, dactyls bifid (two-pointed)
- Shape of rostrum is highly variable.
- In males, the axis of the rostrum often is straight, while in females, it can be upturned (see figure)
Habitat & Distribution
- Rocks, mixture of rocks and shell, intertidal to 247 m
Feeding
- Scavenger, predator on annelid worms, crustaceans, brittle stars and mollusks
Life cycle
- Not studied
- Females carry the fertilized eggs under the abdomen.
- They hatch as zoeal stages, metamorphose into the megalops stage and settle to the sea floor
Page Author: Mary Wicksten
Created: August 10, 2010
