HIGHER CRUSTACEA OE NEW YORK CITY I3I 



Family ci^ANGONiDAt: 

 Crangon vulgaris Fab. 



Shriiiip 



Crangon vulgaris Fabricius. Ent. Syst. Sup. 1798- p-4io. Verrill. 

 /. c. 1874. P-550, pi. 3, fig. 10. 



Crangon s e p t e m s p i n o s i s DeKay. /. c. 1844. P—S, pi. 8, fig.24. 



Carapace flattened on dorsal surface and with a minute flattened 



rostrum. Antennulae biflagellate, outer flagellum about as long as 



antennal scale, inner slightly longer. Last pair of maxillipeds pedi- 



form. First pair of legs largest and subchelate, second pair smallest. 



Fig. 3 Crangon vulgaris (After Verrill) 



Length 50 mm. Color light, but thickly spotted with dark gray 

 or black markings, which cause it to resemble closely the sand. In 

 muddy localities, where the bottom is darker, the spots are more 

 numerous and larger, so that the animals have an almost uniform 

 color. 



They are found on the bottoms of the bays in shallow water, 

 either lying upon the sand or buried in it with only the eyes and 

 antennae exposed. It is a very active form, springing quickly away 

 when any attempt is made to capture it but it needs all its powers 

 of concealment and action, for it is hunted by many fishes, and, 

 according to Verrill, it constitutes the principal food of several 

 species, among which are the weakfish, bluefish, flounders, striped 

 bass etc. 



It is a very widely distributed species, occurring all over the 

 northern hemisphere. It is the edible shrimp of Europe. 



