| Diagnosis |
"Prawn" of British Columbia, sometimes called the giant shrimp. The body is stout; the carapace covered with a dense short pubescence. The colour of the adults is fawn to red with several distinct white stripes and spots, but the younger individuals show a variety of coloration. Some are green, others brown, while yet others show the red of red algae and
hydroids. This colour change seems to correspond to a change in habitat, for the young specimens live in comparatively shallow water amongst seaweeds and hydroids, while the older individuals go down into deep water. The rostrum is one and a half to one and two thirds times as long as the carapace. There are 14 to 17 dorsal spines extending to the middle of the rostrum, and usually a solitary spine not far behind the acute tip, while the lower limb is armed with 7 or 8 fixed spines. |