Desmarest, 1823
Carapace shape wider than long, moderately convex, commonly subcircular. Surface may be smooth or sparsely granulate, covered with coarse setae, which may short or long, and often arranged in tufts. Lateral carapace margin always well defined and armed with distinct small teeth or granules. 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 walking 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 and second article with 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 walking 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 podobranchs) + 7 epipods. Gills 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 walking legs, which lies alongside each uropod. In both sexes, five pairs of pleopods; first pair vestigial in female; last three pairs rudimentary in male. First male pleopods very uniform in structure, consisting of a stout, setose semi-rolled tube with an apical plate; second pair simple, needle-like, with varying numbers of subterminal spines. (after McLay, 1999)
Type species: Dynomene hispida Guérin-Méneville, 1832, by subsequent monotypy by Guérin-Méneville, 1832.
Gender feminine.
Species treated:
Dynomene hispida Guérin-Méneville, 1832
Dynomene pilumnoides Alcock, 1900
Dynomene praedator A. Milne Edwards, 1879