Crustacea, the Higher Taxa

J.K. Lowry


Ostracoda (Maxillipoda)

Common name. Seed Shrimps.

Description. Head. Rostrum present or absent; eyes sessile or absent; compound, visual elements present; ocular scale absent; naupliar eyes present. Antennules (antenna 1) uniramous; peduncle and flagellum indistinguishable; exopod well developed, whip-like. Antennae (antenna 2) biramous; exopod multiarticulate. Mandible biramous (check); palp present. Maxillipeds, absent. Thorax. Carapace present, univalved or bivalved, enclosing head, body and appendages, laterally compressed, smooth, with antennal rostral incisure or without antennal rostral incisure. Thorax and abdomen undifferentiated, with 1-3 pairs of appendages; biramous; peraeopods (legs) non-phyllopodous. Uropods well developed, 1 pair, positioned terminally or subterminally; rami absent; claw-like. Telson present (not fused to pleon).

Larval development. Anamorphic (eggs brooded beneath the carapace or attached to an external substrate). Embryos carried dorsally within the carapace, or eggs shed or deposited externally.

Habitat. Benthic and planktonic, marine, freshwater and occasionally terrestrial; infrequent commensals on freshwater isopods and parasites in the gills of some marine fish.

Distribution. Worldwide.

Cite this publication as: Lowry, J.K. (1999 onwards). 'Crustacea, the Higher Taxa: Description, Identification, and Information Retrieval.' Version: 2 October 1999. https://crustacea.net/.