Red in color.
Pan-oceanic species. The most common member of the genus, which occurs in cold-water and tropical regions. In the Arctic is found until 80*N, in the Antarctic comes close to the ice at 65-72*S.
Occurs at a wide range of depths, from 50-100m to 2000-3000m, but is most common at 200-1000 m.
Body smooth, without ridges; only the head contains low crests which go from the forehead to the antennae. Eyes very small. A1 thin, slightly longer than the pereon.
The mouth cone does not protrude strongly. The outer lobes of the Mxp long, sharpened toward the distal end; the inner lobes are about 2 times shorter than the inner and their distal edge is straight.
The width of the segments of pereopods and uropods and the extent of their ornamentation is variable.
P1 and P2 are simple; CLAWS are long and thin.
P3-P4 segment length is 6=4<5; claws are long, almost straight.
P5 is longer than the other pereopods. The 2nd segment is elongate-oval in shape or with parallel edges, carries a number of coarse serrations on the front or back edge and a long curved distal out-growth. The 4th segment is equal or longer than the 5th, which in turn is 1.5 times longer than the 6th.
P6 is shorter than P5; P7 is longer than the 2nd segment of P6.
U1 uniramous; carry a number of curved spines on the distal edge and are finely serrated on the proximal edge.
U2 uniramous; have a smooth proximal edge and finely serrated distal edge.
U3 biramous; exopod and endopod have all smooth edges.
The small triangular telson is about as long as wide.
Bioluminescent.
