Paracrangon
Paracrangon is a group of deep-sea shrimp in the Crangonidae family. They live along the Pacific coasts of North America, Asia, and Australia. They are easy to recognize because they lack the second pair of legs, have a partly flexible abdomen, and can hold their abdomen up in a defensive cataleptic posture. Their carapaces are covered with long spines.
Most Paracrangon species are very rare, except for Paracrangon echinata, the type species and the most common. In many species the second pair of legs is completely missing or only present as small buds. Because they don’t have those legs, these shrimp often carry detritus, hydroids, and bryozoans on their bodies, which helps them blend into their surroundings.
Body shape and features: they are a little flattened from side to side, have free eyes, and a long, slender rostrum. The carapace is strongly sculptured, and the body is covered with short curved hairs. The cataleptic posture is when the abdomen bends upward around 45 degrees, exposing their spines to deter predators.
Paracrangon echinata, also known as the horned or spiked shrimp, is the most common species. It is usually brown with darker spots and is related to P. abei. It lives from shallow waters down to about 1,380 meters (4,530 feet). It was first described from Puget Sound but is found along the North American Pacific coast up to Alaska and as far south as La Jolla, California. In Asian waters it occurs around Japan, the Okhotsk Sea, and the Korea Strait.
In P. echinata, the big end segments of the first legs (pollexes) are unusually long and connect with the palms. The third pair of legs is very fine and acts mainly as sensory feelers to detect prey and scan the surroundings.
A 2011 study found that P. echinata is a lie‑in‑wait predator, feeding mainly on amphipods (more than 40%), along with polychaetes and other small crustaceans. It first detects prey with its thin third pair of legs and then grabs it with the first pair of legs.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 06:50 (CET).