Familia Retroplumidae

Gill, 1894

Carapace transversely oval, subquadrilateral or roundly square. Dorsal surface flat or slightly convex, with the regions seldom well defined, marked by horizontal crests. Antero-lateral margins cristiform, either straight or slightly arched, armed with salient lobes or spiniform teeth. Fronto-orbital width great. Front extremely narrow, protruding in a triangular or spatuliform rostrum. Orbits reduced. Eyestalks long and thin; cornea small, sometimes weakly pigmented. No distinct antennular fossae. Interantennular septum as a very thin plate. Antennae very small ans slender, with a long flagellum. Orbits very incomplete below. No distinct epistome. Third maxillipeds slender and subpediform, not nearly covering the mouth; merus slender; palp articulating with the summit of merus; exopodite of normal size and form, not concealed. Chelipeds relatively weak. Ambulatory legs long and slender, fringed with plumose hairs; P5 considerably much weaker than the preceeding and rudimentary, placed dorsally, with flattened and feathered articles. Thoracic sternum extremely broadened, carinated. Male abdomen narrow and triangular, with third to fifth segments fused. Female openings sternal. Male openings coxal. G2 short. (Guinot 1998)

Genus treated:
genus Retropluma Gill, 1894

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