Aeginina longicornis
Aeginina longicornis Krøyer, 1842
- superfamily Caprelloidea
- family Caprellidae Leach 1814
- genus Aeginina Norman, 1905
Overview
General Description
Caprellid, “Ghost” or “Skeleton” shrimps, so called for their skeletal appearance. Amphipod crustaceans, easily distinguished by the elongate stick-like body form and reduction of the abdominal appendages. Head is generally fused with pereonite 1. Pereopods on first 2 segments (pereonites) are most flexible and called gnathopods; gnathopods 2 being the largest, used in defense, feeding and substrate attachment. In many species pereopods 3 and 4 may also be reduced or absent. Gills on pereonites 3 + 4, rarely on pereonite 2. Pereopods 5 - 7 much smaller than 1 + 2, used for clinging to the substratum. In females, brood plates (öostegites) develop on pereonites 3 + 4. Much remains to be learnt about their biology, ecology and in many cases changing distributions.
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Description
Diagnostic Description
Length: 7.7-50mm. Body smooth to very spinose, usually: one pair of dorsal head spines and lateral spines over gnathopod 2 insertions. Antenna 1 in adult males usually as long as body; antenna 2 shorter than antenna 1 peduncle. Gnathopod 1 propodus triangular, grasping margin of propodus and dactylus slightly serrate. Gnathopod 2 basis with strong antero-lateral spine; propodus slender, and with triangular projection antero-distally; palm with proximal projection bearing single spine, and with two distal projections separated by a cleft. In large adult males, both the distal cleft, and the notch distal to the grasping spine become much exaggerated. Gills elliptical. Pereopods 5 to 7 propodus bearing proximal grasping spines. Penes lateral, medially directed, and long.
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Notes
May be more spinose in northern waters.
Specimens labelled as Aeginina elevata at the National Museum of Natural History, Washington DC (202150, 41m off Delaware) are missing pereopods 5-7, but otherwise are very much like Aeginina longicornis. It is not clear where the name Aeginina elevata came from and it has hence been added as a synonym.
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Specimens
National Museum of Natural History, Washington DC: (NMNH) 26017 Off Newport Sta. 787 USFC (A. longicornis var. nodosa) 19ftms; (NMNH) 168 Gulf of Maine; USFC 1878Loc 169;
(NMNH) 202150 labelled Aeginina elevata
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Ecology and Distribution
Distribution
Hudson River estuary; Atlantic Canada: Bay of Fundy, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland; Gulf of St Lawrence: Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, Gaspé; St. Lawrence River estuary; Saguenay fjord; Arctic Canada: west to 106°20’ north to 76°46’; Greenland (W+S); Norway; Denmark; Faroe Islands; Shetland Islands; Iceland; Newfoundland to North Carolina.
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Habitat
<10 m to 2258 m. On algae, sea grass, hydroids, bryozoans and from the gut of the sea bass Centropristis.
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Life Cycle
Highest abundances sampled in August and September; ovigerous females absent from January to March.
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Reproduction
Extended maternal care
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Relevance
Diseases
Intermediate host to marine fish parasite: Echinorhynchus gadi
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Taxonomy
- Aeginella longicornis (Holmes, 1904) (synonym)
- Aeginina elevata (synonym)
- Aegina echimata (Boeck,1861) (synonym)
- Caprella scolopendroides (Ross,1826) (synonym)
- Aegina spinosissima (Sars, 1909) (synonym)
- Aegina spinifera (Rodger, 1894) (synonym)
- Caprella spinifera (Bell, 1855) (synonym)
- Aegina longicornis (Krøyer, 1842) (synonym)
- Aegina laevis (Boeck, 1861) (synonym)
- Aeginella spinosissima (Mayer, 1890) (synonym)