McLay, 1999
Carapace much wider than long, moderately convex, commonly subcircular. Surface sparsely spinous (especially in antero-branchial region), areolate, covered with coarse setae, which are short and long, and arranged in tufts. Lateral carapace margin always well defined and armed with distinct teeth. Frontal groove well marked, split in two posteriorly; cervical, postcervical and branchial grooves usually evident. Frontal carapace margin broadly triangular, continuous; no rostrum or teeth. Eyestalks short, eyes protected by well defined orbits. Sternal sutures 7/8 of female end well apart on low tubercles behind bases of second ambulatory legs.
Antennule can be concealed inside orbit at base of eyestalk. Antennal flagella shorter than carapace width. All articles of antenna movable; first article (urinal) always beaked medially; second article has an exopod firmly fixed. Third maxillipeds opercular, completely covering buccal cavern, separated at their bases by a plate at same level as sternum; basis and ischium of endopod fused but joint always marked by a shallow groove. Crista dentata present. Chelipeds equal, stouter than ambulatory legs; dactyl strongly curved; fingers gaping basally. Last pair of legs very reduced; dactyl rudimentary, forming an obsolete subchelate mechanism with an extension of propodus. Gills usually 19 (including 6 podobranchia) + 7 epipods. Gill structure basically phyllobranchiate but plates are very variable in shape.
Abdomen of six segments and telson folded loosely under thorax; uropods large; no effective abdominal locking mechanism. Lateral movement of abdomen restricted by small sternal tubercle, at base of each of first ambulatory legs, which lies alongside each uropod. Both sexes have five pairs of pleopods; first pair vestigial in female; last three pairs rudimentary in male. Male pleopods uniform in structure; first pair consist of a stout, setose semi-rolled tube with an apical plate; second pair needle-like with numerous subdistal spines, some of which overlap, sinuously arranged around the axis. (McLay, 1999)
Type species: Dynomene spinosa Rathbun, 1911.
Species treated:
Hirsutodynomene spinosa (Rathbun, 1911)