Skeleton shrimp
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Skeleton shrimp
Pariambus typicus
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Arthropoda Subphylum: Crustacea Class: Malacostraca Superorder: Peracarida Order: Amphipoda Suborder: Corophiidea Infraorder: Caprellida Leach, 1814
Families
see text

Skeleton shrimp are marine crustaceans of the infraorder Caprellida. The name denotes the threadlike slender body which allows them virtually to disappear among the fine filaments of seaweed, hydroids and bryozoans. Most species are predators, some are filter feeders. Skeleton shrimps accentuate their adaptive form and colouration by assuming an angular pose, resembling that of the fronds among which they live.¹ They remain motionless for long periods of time while waiting to ambush their prey, often protozoa or small worms. Females of some species of skeleton shrimp kill the males after mating, using venom injected by a venomous claw.

Predators of the skeleton shrimp include gobies of the genus Pomatoschistus.

Some species

Caprella bathytatos

• Caprella laeviuscula smooth skeleton shrimp
• Aeginella longicornis long-horn skeleton shrimp
• Caprella californica California skeleton shrimp

Families

Superfamily Aetiopedesoidea

• Aetiopedesidae
• Paragammaropsidae

Superfamily Caprelloidea Leach, 1814

• Caprellidae Leach, 1814
• Caprogammaridae Kudrjaschov and Vassilenko, 1966
• Cyamidae
• Dulichiidae
• Podoceridae

Superfamily Isaeoidea

• Isaeidae

Superfamily Microprotopoidea

• Microprotopodidae

Superfamily Neomegamphopoidea

• Neomegamphopodidae
• Priscomilitariidae

Superfamily Photoidea

• Ischyroceridae
• Kamakidae
• Photidae

Superfamily Rakirooidae

• Rakiroidae

References

• the Amphipod Newsletter.
• Taxonomy of Caprellida from ITIS.

External links

• Some information on Caprella bathytatos.
• Photos of Skeleton shrimps.