Stenopodea

Abstract

The infraorder Stenopodea has uniramous pereiopods; the first through third are chelate, with the third being by far the largest in the series, which in life is carried and directed anteriad. The fourth and fifth ambulatory pereiopods are often quite long and slender. The pleomere pleura all overlap those of the next most posterior segment, clearly more reptant-like than caridean-like in this regard. The stenopodeans occupy cryptic environments in reefs, rocky areas, inside glass sponges, and in anchialine caves. The living forms are arranged among 72 species in 12 genera. These are clearly and easily divisible into three families. A common name of the stenopodeans is “barber pole shrimp.”