APHOTOMARINE

An educational resource dedicated mainly to the photography
and diversity of marine life that can be found in coastal waters
and intertidal areas of Great Britain and Ireland by David Fenwick.

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Chameleon shrimp
Praunus flexuosus
- lateral view 1

Chameleon shrimp
Praunus flexuosus
- dorsal view anterior 1

Chameleon shrimp
Praunus flexuosus
- dorsal view anterior 2

Chameleon shrimp
Praunus flexuosus
- telson 1

Chameleon shrimp
Praunus flexuosus
- with 1.0mm division rule 1

Chameleon shrimp
Praunus flexuosus
- in-situ 1

Chameleon shrimp
Praunus flexuosus
- telson under microscope 1

Chameleon shrimp
Praunus flexuosus
- telson tip under microscope 1

Chameleon shrimp
Praunus flexuosus
- endouropod and exouropod under microscope 1

Chameleon shrimp
Praunus flexuosus
- endouropod / microscope 1

Chameleon shrimp
Praunus flexuosus
- exouropod / microscope 1

Chameleon shrimp
Praunus flexuosus
- statolith on endouropod under microscope 1

Chameleon shrimp
Praunus flexuosus
- antennal scale under microscope 1

Chameleon shrimp
Praunus flexuosus
- antennal scale tip under microscope 1

Chameleon shrimp
Praunus flexuosus
- antennule peduncle under microscope 1

Chameleon shrimp
Praunus flexuosus
- habitat / location 1

Chameleon shrimp
Praunus flexuosus
- habitat / location 2

The mysid specimen above was netted with the prawn Palaemon longirostris at Halton Quay, near Callington, Cornwall. 14.04.22. The general colour was colourless, the prawn only appears bluish under flash lights.

This page has changed recently because I discovered many of the examples here were actually the species Praunus neglectus. Whilst Praunus flexuosus can occur in a wide range of salinities, in lower salinities Praunus flexuosus is probably more likely, in higher salinities Praunus neglectus may be the more common species around the Cornish coast, especially if netted around Sargassum.

Tattersall and Tattersall in 'British Mysidacea' report that the setae of the antennal scale and uropods of Praunus neglectus are 'violet or reddish purple' and that they are colourless in Praunus flexuosus. I have found that P. flexuosus might have some slight colour to the setae.

To be absolutely sure whether the species is P. flexuosus or P. neglectus it is advisable to look at specimens under a microscope.

The main objective of this website is in furthering environmental awareness and education through the medium of photography. To increase awareness and access to the wildlife of the region and help

people find and identify it. Sometimes the difference between species is obvious but many species can only be determined by observing microscopic characteristics that are specific to any one species.