A Taxonomic Guide 

to the Mysids of

the South Atlantic Bight

Richard W. Heard

W. Wayne Price

David M. Knott

Rachael A. King

Dennis M. Allen

NOAA Professional Paper NMFS 4

U.S. Department 

of Commerce

June 2006
U.S. Department

of Commerce

Carlos M. Gutierrez

Secretary

National Oceanic 

and Atmospheric

Administration

Vice Admiral

Conrad C. Lautenbacher Jr., 

USN (ret.)

Under Secretary for 

Oceans and Atmosphere

National Marine 

Fisheries Service

William T. Hogarth

Assistant Administrator 

for Fisheries

The NOAA Professional Paper NMFS 

(ISSN 1931-4590) series is published 

by the Scientific Publications Office, 

National Marine Fisheries Service, 

NOAA, 7600 Sand Point Way NE, 

Seattle, WA 98115.

The Secretary of Commerce has 

determined that the publication of 

this series is necessary in the transaction of the public business required by 

law of this Department. Use of funds 

for printing of this series has been approved by the Director of the Office 

of Management and Budget.

NOAA Professional 

Papers NMFS

Scientific Editor

Dr. Adam Moles

Technical Editor

Elizabeth Calvert

National Marine Fisheries Service, NOAA

11305 Glacier Hwy.

Juneau, Alaska 99801-8626

Managing Editor

Shelley Arenas

National Marine Fisheries Service

Scientific Publications Office

7600 Sand Point Way NE

Seattle, Washington 98115

Editorial Committee

Dr. Andrew E. Dizon National Marine Fisheries Service

Dr. Linda L. Jones National Marine Fisheries Service

Dr. Richard D. Methot National Marine Fisheries Service

Dr. Theodore W. Pietsch University of Washington

Dr. Joseph E. Powers National Marine Fisheries Service

Dr. Tim D. Smith National Marine Fisheries Service

The NOAA Professional Paper NMFS series carries peer-reviewed, lengthy original 

research reports, taxonomic keys, species synopses, flora and fauna studies, and data-intensive reports on investigations in fishery science, engineering, and economics. Copies 

of the NOAA Professional Paper NMFS series are available free in limited numbers to 

government agencies, both federal and state. They are also available in exchange for 

other scientific and technical publications in the marine sciences. Professional Papers 

are published online in PDF format at http://spo.nmfs.noaa.gov

NOTICE: This series was established in 2003 to replace the NOAA Technical Report 

NMFS series. 
NOAA Professional Paper NMFS 4

A Taxonomic Guide to the Mysids 

of the South Atlantic Bight

Richard W. Heard

W. Wayne Price

David M. Knott

Rachael A. King

Dennis M. Allen

June 2006

U.S. Department of Commerce

Seattle, Washington
Suggested reference

Heard, Richard W., W. Wayne Price, David M. Knott, Rachael A. King, and 

Dennis M. Allen. 2006. A taxonomic guide to the mysids of the South Atlantic 

Bight. NOAA Professional Paper NMFS 4, 37 p.

Online dissemination

This report is posted online in PDF format at http://spo.nmfs.noaa.gov (click on 

Professional Papers link).

Copyright law

Although the contents of the Professional Papers have not been copyrighted and 

may be reprinted entirely, reference to source is appreciated.

Proprietary products

The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) does not approve, recommend, 

or endorse any proprietary product or proprietary material mentioned in this 

publication. No reference shall be made to NMFS, or to this publication furnished by NMFS, in any advertising or sales promotion which would indicate or 

imply that NMFS approves, recommends, or endorses any proprietary product 

or proprietary material mentioned herein, or which has as its purpose an intent 

to cause directly or indirectly the advertised product to be used or purchased 

because of this NMFS publication.
iii

CONTENTS

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

 Overview of the Order Mysida . 1

General morphological features of Mysida . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Previous records of mysids from the South Atlantic Bight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Updated distributional records of mysids from the South Atlantic Bight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Materials and methods . . . . . . . . . 4

Results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Key to the mysids of the South Atlantic Bight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Annotated list of mysids from the South Atlantic Bight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

FAMILY MYSIDAE Haworth, 1825 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

SUBFAMILY SIRIELLINAE Norman, 1892 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

 Siriella thompsonii (H. Milne-Edwards, 1837) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

SUBFAMILY GASTROSACCINAE Norman, 1892 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

 Anchialina typica (Krøyer, 1861) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

 Bowmaniella dissimilis (Coifmann, 1937) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

 Bowmaniella mexicana (Tattersall, 1951) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

SUBFAMILY MYSINAE Hansen, 1910 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Tribe Erythropini Hansen, 1910 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

 Amathimysis brattegardi Stuck and Heard, 1981 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Amathimysis sp. (near serrata) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Tribe Leptomysini Hansen, 1910 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Americamysis almyra (Bowman, 1964) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Americamysis bahia (Molenock, 1969) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Americamysis bigelowi (Tattersall, 1926) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

Brasilomysis castroi B

acescu, 1968 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

Metamysidopsis swifti B

acescu, 1969 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

Mysidopsis furca Bowman, 1957 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

Mysidopsis sp. (mortenseni complex) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

Neobathymysis renoculata (Tattersall, 1951) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

Promysis atlantica Tattersall, 1923 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

Tribe Mysini Hansen, 1910 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

Neomysis americana (Smith, 1873) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

Tribe Heteromysini Hansen, 1910 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

Heteromysis beetoni Modlin, 1984 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

Heteromysis formosa Smith, 1873 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

General remarks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

Acknowledgments . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

Literature cited . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

Appendix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

A Taxonomic Guide to the Mysids 

of the South Atlantic Bight

Richard W. Heard

Department of Coastal Sciences

University of Southern Mississippi

Ocean Springs, Mississippi 39566

W. Wayne Price

Department of Biology

University of Tampa

Tampa, Florida 33606

David M. Knott

Rachael A. King

Southeastern Regional Taxonomic Center (SERTC)

Marine Resources Research Institute

South Carolina Department of Natural Resources

P.O. Box 12559

Charleston, South Carolina 29422-2559

Dennis M. Allen

Baruch Marine Field Laboratory

University of South Carolina

Georgetown, South Carolina 29442

Abstract. Following the examination 

of extensive collections from the National 

Museum of Natural History (NMNH), the 

Southeastern Regional Taxonomic Center 

(SERTC), and other regional institutions, 18 

species of the family Mysidae are recognized 

and described from the South Atlantic Bight 

(Cape Lookout, North Carolina to Cape 

Canaveral, Florida). This report includes 

synonymies of previous records, as well as 

new species distribution records. Previous 

regional accounts of Metamysidopsis munda

and Metamysidopsis mexicana are attributed 

to Metamysidopsis swifti. New regional records 

are established for Amathimysis brattegardi, 

Heteromysis beetoni, and Siriella thompsonii. 

Two other species tentatively identified as 

Amathimysis sp. (nr. serrata) and Mysidopsis

sp. (cf. mortenseni) may represent new taxa. 

Neobathymysis renoculata is included and 

discussed as a potential regional species. 

An illustrated key to the species currently 

known from the South Atlantic Bight is presented. Relevant taxonomic, distributional, 

and ecological information is also included 

for each species.

Introduction

This guide and report on the order 

Mysida is part of a series dealing with 

a broader taxonomic assessment and 

review of the marine and estuarine 

fauna of the South Atlantic Bight 

(SAB), which is defined here as the 

coastal and oceanic region of the 

southeastern United States between 

Cape Lookout, North Carolina and 

Cape Canaveral, Florida, out to a 

depth of about 200 m. Several new 

regional records for mysid species 

were discovered. The purpose of 

the present study is to critically review previous information and studies, establish new regional records, 

document additional distributional 

records for the SAB, summarize the 

taxonomic information available on 

each species treated, and present 

an illustrated key for the identification of the Mysida currently known 

from the inshore, nearshore, and 

offshore shelf waters of the South 

Atlantic Bight.

Overview of the Order Mysida

Members of the order Mysida are 

shrimp-like crustaceans that were 

formerly combined with the order 

Lophogastrida as the “Mysidacea” 

(Martin and Davis, 2001). At present, there are more than 1050 species and about 160 genera constituting the four families of Mysida 

(Mysidae, Petalophthalmidae, Lepidomysidae, and Stygiomysidae). 

Although they are distributed worldwide, more than 90% of the species inhabit marine areas, occurring 

mainly in coastal waters and to a 

lesser extent in the open ocean. Fewer than 100 species inhabit brackish 

and freshwater, while others, especially the Lepidomysidae and Stygiomysidae, are found in hypogean 

environments such as marine and 

anchialine caves and groundwater 

habitats (Bowman, 1986). Most mysids are free-living, but some marine 

species are associated symbiotically 

with a variety of invertebrates, especially anthozoans, sponges, and 

hermit crabs (Clarke, 1955; Vannini 

et al., 1993; Price and Heard, 2004; 

Meland1).

The majority (>75%) of mysids 

are epibenthic, living on or just 

above the sediment surface. A few 

species, especially some members 

of the subfamily Gastrosaccinae, are 

capable of burrowing. Some mysids 

are strictly pelagic in coastal and 

oceanic waters. Species are found 

in all regions of the ocean from the 

1

 Meland, K. 2002 onwards. Mysidacea: Families, Subfamilies and Tribes. Version 1: 2 

October 2000. Crustacea.net: an information retrieval system for crustaceans of the 

world. An Australian Museum website. Accessed February 8, 2006. http://crustacea.

net/crustace/mysidacea/index.htm 
2

intertidal zone to depths greater than 7000 m. Coastal 

and epipelagic forms are small, 30 mm or less in length, 

but deep-water species may reach 80 mm (Mauchline, 

1980; Brusca and Brusca, 2003).

In coastal ecosystems, mysids represent an abundant 

component of the epibenthic fauna, where they may 

reach densities in excess of 105 per 100 m3 (Moffat and 

Jones, 1992). They are also important as major producers and consumers in estuarine food webs (Mauchline, 

1980). Most species in estuaries are omnivorous, feeding 

on plant and animal detritus, zooplankton, and phytoplankton. Mysids may constitute more than 40% of the 

standing stock of omnivores in some coastal systems. 

Because their feeding is often selective, mysids have 

the potential to influence zooplankton, phytoplankton, and meiofaunal communities (Roast et al., 1998). 

Due to their high densities in estuaries, mysids are a 

potential food source for coastal fish. These crustaceans have been recorded in the diets of many marine 

and estuarine fish (Darnell, 1958, 1961; Stickney et 

al., 1974; Mauchline, 1980), as well as birds and larger 

invertebrates (Mauchline, 1980), thus inferring their 

importance as a link to higher trophic levels in coastal 

regions (Roast et al., 1998).

Available evidence indicates that mysids are more 

sensitive to toxic substances than most other marine 

species (Roast et al., 1998) and that this sensitivity occurs at levels that commonly occur in the environment 

(Odenkirchen and Eisler, 1988). Due to this sensitivity, 

mysids are frequently used as test organisms for estuarine environmental monitoring in acute and chronic 

toxicity testing (Roast et al., 1998).

Mysids are commonly called “opossum shrimp,” which 

refers to the presence of a brood pouch or marsupium 

in mature females. Ovigerous females carry eggs and 

developing embryos in this ventral brood pouch, which 

is formed by pairs of flattened thoracic coxal endites 

called oostegites.

The Mysidacea [= Mysida and Lophogastrida sensu

Schram (1986) and Brusca and Brusca (2003)] have 

long been placed within the superorder Peracarida, 

which was considered a monophyletic group of malacostracan orders characterized by the presence of a brood 

pouch formed from oostegites and a lacinia mobilis on 

the mandible. Watling (1999) questioned this view 

and, based on morphological characters, considered 

mysidaceans to be more closely related to eucarids. This 

view is supported by DNA sequencing studies conducted 

by Abele and Spears (1997), Spears and Abele (1998), 

and Jarman et al. (2000). Jarman et al. (2000) consider 

that mysids have closer affinities to the Decapoda than 

to any other malacostracan groups. In contrast, Richter and Scholtz (2001) indicate that the Mysida and 

Lophogastrida sensu Schram (1986) should be retained 

within Peracarida, but as a distinct sister group to the 

remaining orders (e.g., Amphipoda, Isopoda, Cumacea, 

and Tanaidacea) within this superorder. For a more 

complete synopsis of this systematic problem, see Martin 

and Davis (2001).

General morphological features of Mysida

Some basic morphological characters of the Mysida 

(Fig. 1) include 1) a carapace covering most of the thorax, but fused with no more than the first four thoracic 

somites; 2) maxillipeds 1 and 2 distinct from cephalic 

appendages; 3) thoracomere 1 separated from head 

(and maxilla) by an internal transverse skeletal bar; 4) 

absence of gills on thoracic appendages; 5) female pleopods reduced, male pleopods reduced or biramous and 

natatory, often with one or more pairs modified; and 6) 

a statocyst on endopod of each uropod for members of 

the large family Mysidae (over 95% of the described species), but lacking for the deep water Petalophthalmidae 

and the hypogean Lepidomysidae and Stygiomysidae 

(Tattersall, 1951; Stuck et al., 1979a; Price, 1982; Schram, 1986; Brusca and Brusca, 2003). It should be noted 

that in some mysids the carpus and propodus of the thoracopods are fused and form a “carpo-propodus” and 

further that the carpo-propodus itself can be segmented 

(McLaughlin, 1980). 

Previous records of mysids 

from the South Atlantic Bight

Eighteen nominal species of the family have been previously reported from the inshore, coastal, and offshore 

waters of the South Atlantic Bight (SAB): Americamysis 

almyra (Bowman, 1964); Americamysis bahia (Molenock, 

1969); Americamysis bigelowi (Tattersall, 1926); Anchialina 

typica (Krøyer, 1861); Bowmaniella brasiliensis B

acescu, 

1968; Bowmaniella dissimilis (Coifmann, 1937); Bowmaniella floridana Holmquist, 1975; Bowmaniella johnsoni (Tattersall, 1937); Bowmaniella mexicana (Tattersall, 1951); 

Bowmaniella portoricensis B

acescu, 1968; Brasilomysis 

castroi B

acescu, 1968; Heteromysis formosa Smith, 1873;

Metamysidopsis munda (Zimmer, 1918); Metamysidopsis 

swifti B

acescu, 1969; Metamysidopsis mexicana B

acescu, 

1969; Mysidopsis furca Bowman, 1957; Neomysis americana 

(Smith, 1873); and Promysis atlantica Tattersall, 1923.

The first documented information on the Mysida occurring in the SAB was published in Tattersall’s (1951) 

monograph based on material in the collections of the 

U.S. National Museum, now known as the National Museum of Natural History. Tattersall (1951) documented 

a total of 11 species for the entire U.S. Atlantic coast 

(Maine to Florida), only two of which, Heteromysis formosa and Metamysidopsis munda, were recorded from the 

waters of the SAB. Later, Mysidopsis furca was described 

from shelf waters off South Carolina (Bowman, 1957). 
3

In their distributional and ecological study on mysids 

from the holdings of the National Marine Fisheries Service Laboratory at Woods Hole, Massachusetts, Wigley 

and Burns (1971) established new SAB regional records 

for Anchialina typica, Bowmaniella portoricensis, Mysidopsis 

bigelowi, and Promysis atlantica. They also presented additional data on Mysidopsis furca. In the same year, Day 

et al. (1971) reported Gastrosaccus mexicanus Tattersall, 

1951, Metamysidopsis munda, Mysidopsis furca, and Promysis atlantica from benthic transects off North Carolina. 

Sikora et al. (1972) and Williams (1972) established the 

first regional records for Neomysis americana from Georgia and North Carolina waters, respectively, and later 

Williams et al. (1974) presented additional regional 

distribution records, ecological information, and a 

supplemental description for this ecologically important western Atlantic species. Besides N. americana, Williams (1972) reported five other species (Bowmaniella 

dissimilis, B. johnsoni, Heteromysis formosa, Metamysidopsis 

bigelowi, and Promysis atlantica) from North Carolina 

inshore brackish and marine waters. In Georgia waters, 

Stickney et al. (1974) reported N. americana as a major 

prey organism in the diets of four species of bothid flatfishes from St. Catherines, Wassaw, Ossabaw, and Sapelo 

Sounds, and Heard (1975) also reported it in the diet 

of white catfish from the head waters of St. Catherines 

Sound (North Newport River). Kelly (1978) listed three 

mysid species, Metamysidopsis munda, M. bigelowi, and N. 

americana, among the biota of the coastal zone of South 

Carolina. Of these three, only N. americana and M. 

munda were based on actual records from South Carolina waters (M. bigelowi had been recorded by Tattersall 

(1951) from Chesapeake Bay and the Louisiana coast 

and was thus assumed to also occur between these two 

locations). Howard and Frey (1975), based on a report 

of Heard and Heard (1971), listed Bowmaniella johnsoni, 

Brasilomysis cf. castroi, Heteromysis formosa, Mysidopsis bigelowi, and Neomysis americana from St. Catherines and 

Sapelo Sounds and their respective brackish head waters 

on the coast of Georgia. Previously known from the 

northern Gulf of Mexico, Mysidopsis almyra was reported 

from the coastal waters of northeast Florida by Price 

and Vodopich (1979) and Stuck et al. (1979b). In their 

treatment of the invertebrate fauna of the coastal estuarine and nearshore waters of South Carolina, Fox and 

Ruppert (1985) reported the occurrence and additional 

distribution records for Bowmaniella dissimilis, Heteromysis formosa, Metamysidopsis swifti, Mysidopsis bigelowi, and 

Neomysis americana. In a recent survey of the invertebrate 

fauna of St. Catherines Island, Georgia, Prezant et al. 

(2002) listed the presence of H. formosa.

Confusion regarding the identity of several regional 

Bowmaniella species records was recently clarified by 

Heard and Price (In press). They maintained that all 

existing SAB records for Bowmaniella portoricensis and 

Bowmaniella johnsoni should be attributed to Bowmaniella 

Figure 1

The general morphology of mysids: (A) lateral view; (B) dorsal view. (Modified from Stuck et. al., 1979a.)
4

mexicana.* They regarded B. portoricensis to be a junior 

synonym of B. mexicana but stated that B. johnsoni was 

still a valid species, restricted to a distribution in the 

Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. Heard and Price (In 

press) also reported that Bowmaniella brasiliensis and 

Bowmaniella floridana were considered junior synonyms 

of Bowmaniella dissimilis.

Updated distributional records of mysids 

from the South Atlantic Bight

Based on an examination of mysid material in the collections of the South Carolina Department of Natural 

Resources, the Smithsonian Institution, and the authors, several new regional records are established and 

other records clarified.

Eighteen species of Mysida are documented herein 

as occurring in the shallow waters of the South Atlantic 

Bight: Amathimysis brattegardi Stuck and Heard, 1981; 

Amathimysis sp. [nr. A. serrata Murano, 1986]; Americamysis almyra; Americamysis bahia; Americamysis bigelowi; 

Anchialina typica; Bowmaniella dissimilis; Bowmaniella mexicana; Brasilomysis castroi; Heteromysis beetoni Modlin, 1984;

Heteromysis formosa; Metamysidopsis swifti; Mysidopsis furca;

Mysidopsis sp. [mortenseni complex]; Neobathymysis renoculata (Tattersall, 1951); Neomysis americana; Promysis atlantica; and Siriella thompsonii (H. Milne-Edwards, 1837).

SAB records of Metamysidopsis munda and Metamysidopsis mexicana are now attributed to Metamysidopsis swifti

B

acescu, 1969, but it remains unclear as to whether 

either M. munda or M. mexicana exist elsewhere.

New regional records are established for Amathimysis 

brattegardi, Heteromysis beetoni, and Siriella thompsonii. Two 

other species tentatively identified as Amathimysis sp. 

(nr. serrata) and Mysidopsis sp. (mortenseni complex) may 

represent new taxa. Table 1 gives a systematic listing of 

the species known or suspected (i.e. Neobathymysis renoculata) from the estuarine and marine waters of the SAB. 

The key presented here is artificial with repetitious illustrations to facilitate the identification of the 18 species 

of Mysida covered in this guide. For each of the species 

treated, we present relevant taxonomic, distributional, 

and ecological information.

The deep-water species Neobathymysis renoculata is included within this shallow water (<200 m) guide because 

it has been collected in the western Atlantic at ~219 m 

Table 1

Taxonomic listing of the mysids currently known from 

the South Atlantic Bight (SAB).

FAMILY MYSIDAE Haworth, 1825*

SUBFAMILY SIRIELLINAE Norman, 1892

Genus Siriella Dana, 1850

 Siriella thompsonii (H. Milne-Edwards, 1837)

SUBFAMILY GASTROSACCINAE Norman, 1892

 Genus Anchialina Norman and Scott, 1906

 Anchialina typica (Krøyer, 1861)

 Genus Bowmaniella B

acescu, 1968

 Bowmaniella dissimilis (Coifmann, 1937)

 Bowmaniella mexicana (Tattersall, 1951)

SUBFAMILY MYSINAE Hansen, 1910

Tribe Erythropini Hansen, 1910

 Genus Amathimysis Brattegard, 1969 

 Amathimysis brattegardi Stuck and Heard, 1981

 Amathimysis sp. (nr. serrata)

Tribe Leptomysini Hansen, 1910

 Genus Americamysis Price et al., 1994

 Americamysis almyra (Bowman, 1964)

 Americamysis bahia (Molenock, 1969)

 Americamysis bigelowi (Tattersall, 1926)

 Genus Brasilomysis B

acescu, 1968

 Brasilomysis castroi B

acescu, 1968

 Genus Metamysidopsis Tattersall, 1951

 Metamysidopsis swifti B

acescu, 1969

 Genus Mysidopsis Sars, 1864

 Mysidopsis furca Bowman, 1957

 Mysidopsis sp. (mortenseni complex) 

 Genus Neobathymysis Bravo and Murano, 1996

 Neobathymysis renoculata (Tattersall, 1951)

 Genus Promysis Dana, 1850

 Promysis atlantica Tattersall, 1923

Tribe Mysini Hansen, 1910

 Genus Neomysis Czerniavsky, 1882

 Neomysis americana (Smith, 1873)

Tribe Heteromysini Hansen, 1910

 Genus Heteromysis Smith, 1873

 Heteromysis beetoni Modlin, 1984

 Heteromysis formosa Smith, 1873

* Dana (1852) was originally given as the authority for the order 

Mysida (=Mysidacea, in part), but it was recently determined that 

the credit should go to Haworth (1825), who first proposed family 

status for the group (see Martin and Davis, 2001: 34-35).

(Tattersall, 1951) and in the Gulf of Mexico at 180 m 

(Stuck et al., 1979b). Its absence from the collections 

studied by the present authors may be an artifact of 

sampling.

Materials and methods

We examined scientific publications, “gray literature” 

(e.g. regional agency technical reports, contract reports, etc.), and regional collections (National Museum 

* Heard and Price (In press, Zootaxa) published their revision of 

Bowmaniella as this publication was at the proof stage. They split the 

genus Bowmaniella, creating Coifmaniella Heard and Price for four 

species: Bowmaniella johnsoni, B. mexicana, B. merjonesi (B

acescu, 

1968b), and B. parageia (Brattegard, 1970). We could not include 

this new classification in this paper, so what we have called Bowmaniella mexicana is now considered to be Coifmaniella mexicana. Bowmaniella dissimilis remains within the genus Bowmaniella.
5

of Natural History, Washington, DC; Duke Marine 

Laboratory, Beaufort, NC; Grice Marine Laboratory, 

Charleston, SC; South Carolina Department of Natural 

Resources, Charleston, SC) to produce a comprehensive 

list of mysid species from the SAB. Wherever possible, 

we attempted to verify these records by re-examining 

the specimens reported. 

There are certain instances where the key presented 

here will not work as well for juveniles as for adults, especially with reference to meristic characters such as the 

number of spiniform setae on the uropodal endopods 

or lateral or terminal margins of telsons, and sometimes the number of articles on the thoracic endopods. 

Setae or articles may be added with successive molts 

until maturity is reached. Even after that, additions may 

continue if the mysid keeps growing. We advise that 

users of the key work with adult specimens wherever 

possible. Mature females can be recognized by the fully 

developed marsupium, with or without eggs/embryos. 

Mature males of many species have well developed 

pleopods, with some modified to varying degrees as 

gonopods. Some, however, such as the heteromysids, 

have rudimentary pleopods similar to those of all females. Mature males have a setose lobe on article 3 of 

the antennular peduncle, but it is sometimes reduced. 

All mature males have a pair of penes located medially 

at the bases of 8th thoracic appendages.

The following abbreviations have been used: DML –

Duke Marine Laboratory, Beaufort, NC; GADNR – 

Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Brunswick, GA; GML – Grice Marine Laboratory, College of 

Charleston, Charleston, SC; MRRI – Marine Resources 

Research Institute, South Carolina Department of 

Natural Resources, Charleston, SC; NMNH–National 

Museum of Natural History (Smithsonian Institution), 

Washington, DC (previously catalogued material as 

USNM [United States National Museum]); SAB–South 

Atlantic Bight region; SERTC–Southeastern Regional 

Taxonomic Center, Charleston, SC. Designations used 

by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers are ODA (Ocean 

Disposal Area) and ODMDS (Ocean Dredged Material 

Disposal Site).

Results

Key to the mysids of the South Atlantic Bight

(Modified in part from Stuck et al., 1979a; Price, 1982; 

Price et al., 1994)
6

 — Posterior margin of telson convex, linguiform, or pointed (not terminally cleft or emarginate) 

 (Fig. 3) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Figure 3

Telson morphology: (A) Americamysis bigelowi; (B) Amathimysis brattegardi; (C) Siriella thompsonii; 

(D) Metamysidopsis swifti; (E) Brasilomysis castroi; (F) Americamysis almyra; (G) Americamysis bahia. (A, 

C–G: modified from Stuck et al. 1979; B: modified from Stuck and Heard, 1981.)

1. Posterior margin of telson emarginate (slightly indented), concave, or deeply cleft (Fig. 2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Figure 2

Telson morphology: (A) Bowmaniella dissimilis; (B) Bowmaniella mexicana; (C) Promysis atlantica; (D) Anchialina 

typica; (E) Neobathymysis renoculata; (F) Heteromysis beetoni; (G) Mysidopsis furca (male); (H) Mysidopsis furca (female); 

(I)Heteromysis formosa. (A–E, G–I: modified from Stuck et al., 1979a; F: modified from Modlin, 1984.)
7

2. Antennal scale with lateral tooth present (sometimes minute), devoid of setae on outer margin (setae 

on inner margin not drawn in Figure 4, instead, the setal insertions are indicated) (Subfamily Gastro-

 saccinae) (Fig. 4) . . . . . . . . . . 3

Figure 4

Antenna with antennal scale: (A) Anchialina typica; (B) Bowmaniella dissimilis; (C) Bowmaniella mexicana. 

(Modified from Stuck et al., 1979a.)

 — Antennal scale without lateral tooth, setae present on both inner and outer margins (setae not 

 drawn in Figure 5, instead, the setal insertions are indicated) (Fig. 5) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Figure 5

Antenna with antennal scale: (A) Promysis atlantica; (B) Mysidopsis furca; (C) Heteromysis beetoni; (D) 

Neobathymysis renoculata; (E) Heteromysis formosa. (A–B, D–E: modified from Stuck et al. 1979; C: modified 

from Modlin, 1984.)
8

3. Antennal scale small, rounded, distinctly shorter than article 2 of peduncle, lateral tooth minute, 

antennal peduncle with sympod with large barbed tooth on inner distal corner. Telson with each 

 posterior lobe armed with 1 large terminal spiniform seta . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Anchialina typica (Fig. 6)

Figure 6

Anchialina typica: (A) antenna with antennal scale; (B) dorsal view of carapace; (C) telson. (Modified 

from Stuck et al., 1979a.)

 — Antennal scale large, elongate, reaching to or past distal end of article 2 of peduncle, lateral 

tooth distinct, antennal peduncle with sympod lacking tooth on inner distal corner. Telson with 

each posterior lobe armed with 1 large terminal spiniform seta and 1 large sub-terminal spiniform 

 seta (Bowmaniella), see footnote 1 (Fig. 7) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Figure 7

(A) antenna with antennal scale: Bowmaniella dissimilis; (B) antenna with antennal scale: Bowmaniella mexicana; 

(C) telson: Bowmaniella mexicana. (Modified from Stuck et al., 1979a.)
9

4. Antennal scale with lateral tooth strongly developed, nearly terminal, extending beyond end of blade. 

Abdomen with posterior margin of segment 5 with articulated, linguiform, dorsal process. Uropodal 

endopod armed with 4 or more large spiniform setae along medial margin, without row of smaller 

 spiniform setae near statocyst . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bowmaniella dissimilis (Fig. 8)

Figure 8

Bowmaniella dissimilis: (A) antenna with antennal scale; (B) lateral view of abdomen with dorsal 

process; (C) uropod; (D) dorsal view of carapace; (E) telson. (A, C–E: modified from Stuck et al., 

1979a; B: modified from B

acescu, 1968b.) 

 — Antennal scale with lateral tooth not strongly developed, not extending beyond end of blade. Abdomen with posterior margin of segment 5 lacking dorsal articulated process. Uropodal endopod armed 

with 3–4 large spiniform setae along medial margin, distinct row of smaller spiniform setae present 

 near statocyst . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bowmaniella mexicana (Fig. 9)

Figure 9

Bowmaniella mexicana: (A) telson; (B) lateral view of abdomen without dorsal process; (C) 

antenna with antennal scale; (D) dorsal view of carapace; (E) uropod. (A, C–E: modified 

from Stuck et al., 1979a; B: modified from B

acescu, 1968b.)
10

5. Telson with posterior cleft (or emargination) devoid of spiniform setae on inner margins (Fig. 10) . . . . . . . 6

Figure 10

Telson morphology: (A) Promysis atlantica; (B) Mysidopsis furca (female); (C) Mysidopsis 

furca (male). (Modified from Stuck et al., 1979a.)

 — Telson with posterior cleft (or emargination) armed with spiniform setae on inner margins 

 (Fig. 11) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Figure 11

Telson morphology: (A) Neobathymysis renoculata; (B) Heteromysis formosa; (C) Heteromysis beetoni. 

(A–B: modified from Stuck et al., 1979a; C: modified from Modlin, 1984.)
11

6. Antenna with distal article of scale about 1/3 length of proximal article, reaching to or just past article 3 

of peduncle. Uropodal endopod entire margin armed with 14–30 irregularly spaced spiniform setae; 

apex armed with 1 or 2 large, spiniform setae with distally curved tips. Telson with anterior 1/3 of lateral 

 margins lacking spiniform setae; posterior end with cleft distinct . . . . . . . . . . . . Promysis atlantica (Fig. 12)

Figure 12

Promysis atlantica: (A) antenna with antennal scale; (B) dorsal view of carapace; (C) uropod; (D) telson. 

(Modified from Stuck et al., 1979a.)

 — Antenna with distal article of scale about 1/8 length of proximal article, reaching distinctly past 

article 3 of peduncle. Uropodal endopod entire inner margin armed with a closely spaced row of 20–

45 spiniform setae; apex unarmed. Telson entire lateral margins with spiniform setae; posterior end 

 shallowly cleft between the inner most terminal spiniform setae . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mysidopsis furca (Fig. 13)

Figure 13

Mysidopsis furca: (A) dorsal view of carapace; (B) telson (female); (C) antenna with antennal scale; (D) 

telson (male); (E) uropod. (Modified from Stuck et al., 1979a.)
12

7. Antennal scale length about 5 to 6 times greatest width. Telson with lateral margins armed with 25 or 

 more spiniform setae . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Neobathymysis renoculata (Fig. 14)

Figure 14

Neobathymysis renoculata: (A) antenna with antennal scale; (B) uropod; (C) telson; (D) dorsal view 

of carapace. (Modified from Stuck et al., 1979a.)

 — Antennal scale length about 3 times greatest width. Telson with lateral margins armed with 8–20 

 spiniform setae (Fig. 15) . . . . 8

Figure 15

(A) antenna with antennal scale: Heteromysis formosa; (B) uropod: Heteromysis formosa; (C) 

telson: Heteromysis formosa; (D) antenna with antennal scale: Heteromysis beetoni; (E) uropod: 

Heteromysis beetoni; (F) telson: Heteromysis beetoni. (A–C: modified from Stuck et al., 1979a; D–F: 

modified from Modlin, 1984.) 
13

8. Telson with posterior 1/2 of lateral margins bearing around 16 relatively small spiniform setae, posterior 

cleft relatively shallow, about 1/5 total telson length, with 16–30 closely spaced spiniform setae distributed along entire inner margin. Uropodal endopod armed with 16–21 small spiniform setae extending 

along the entire inner (medial) margin (beginning adjacent to distal border of statocyst and ending 

 near apex) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Heteromysis formosa (Fig. 16)

Figure 16

Heteromysis formosa: (A) telson; (B) uropod; (C) antenna with antennal scale; (D) dorsal view of carapace. 

(Modified from Stuck et al., 1979a.)

 — Telson with posterior 2/3 of each lateral margin bearing 9–12 relatively large, moderately spaced, 

lateral spiniform setae, posterior cleft depth about 1/3 total telson length, inner margin anterior half 

armed with 15–17 spiniform setae, posterior half lacking setae. Uropodal endopod armed with 7–9 

large spiniform setae extending only along the proximal inner (medial) margin (beginning adjacent 

 to distal border of statocyst and ending midway to the apex) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Heteromysis beetoni (Fig. 17)

Figure 17

Heteromysis beetoni: (A) telson; (B) uropod; (C) dorsal view of carapace; (D) antenna with antennal scale. 

(Modified from Modlin, 1984.)
14

9. Telson constricted posteriorly into a truncated point, armed with 1–2 large terminal spiniform setae, 

 spiniform setae absent from lateral margins (Amathimysis) (Fig. 18) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Figure 18

Telson morphology: (A) Amathimysis sp. (nr. serrata); (B) Amathimysis 

brattegardi. (A: original illustration B: modified from Stuck and Heard, 

1981.)

 — Telson gradually narrowing posteriorly, with spiniform setae on lateral margins (Fig. 19) . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Figure 19

Telson morphology: (A) Americamysis bahia; (B) Metamysidopsis 

swifti. (Modified from Stuck et al. 1979.)
15

10. Carapace with 5 keel-like tubercles. Antennal scale with tooth terminal, forming a spiniform process; 

antennal peduncle with sympod with large barbed tooth on outer distal corner. Abdominal pleura with 

posteroventral margins forming acute spiniform processes, especially on segments 3–5. Uropodal endopod longer than exopod. Telson very constricted posteriorly, apex armed with 1 large and 1 small 

 spiniform seta . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Amathimysis brattegardi (Fig. 20)

Figure 20

Amathimysis brattegardi: (A) dorsal view of body; (B) antenna with antennal scale; (C) 

uropod; (D) telson; (E) lateral view of abdomen showing pleural processes. (Modified 

from Stuck and Heard, 1981.)

 — Carapace without keel-like tubercles. Antennal scale with tooth sub-terminal, extending to or 

just short of tip of blade; antennal peduncle with sympod with small or indistinct tooth on outer 

distal corner. Abdominal pleura with posteroventral margins rounded. Uropodal endopod similar 

in length to exopod. Telson narrowly truncate posteriorly, apex armed with 2 large medial and 2 

 small lateral spiniform setae . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Amathimysis sp. (nr. serrata) (Fig. 21)

Figure 21

Amathimysis sp. (nr. serrata): (A) dorsal view of carapace; (B) dorsal view of posterior end of body; 

(C) uropod; (D) telson; (E) antenna with antennal scale. (Modified from Murano, 1986.)
16

11. Antennal scale with small lateral tooth, with setae on inner margin but devoid of setae on outer 

margin (setae on inner margin not drawn in Fig. 22, instead, the setal insertions are indicated). 

 Uropodal endopod similar in length to exopod . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Siriella thompsonii (Fig. 22)

Figure 22

Siriella thompsonii: (A) dorsal view of carapace; (B) uropod; (C) antenna with antennal scale; (D) telson. 

(Modified from Stuck et al., 1979a.)

 — Antennal scale without lateral tooth, with setae on both inner and outer margins (setae on margins not drawn in Fig. 23, instead, the setal insertions are indicated). Uropodal endopod distinctly 

 shorter than exopod (Fig. 23) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Figure 23

(A) antenna with antennal scale: Americamysis almyra; (B) antenna with antennal scale: Metamysidopsis 

swifti; (C) uropod: Brasilomysis castroi; (D) uropod: Metamysidopsis swifti. (Modified from Stuck et al., 

1979a.)
17

12. Eyestalks long and slender, about twice as long as wide at mid-length. Posterior half of telson armed 

 with 40 or more spatulate spiniform setae . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Brasilomysis castroi (Fig. 24)

Figure 24

Brasilomysis castroi: (A) dorsal view of carapace; (B) telson; (C) uropod; (D) antenna with 

antennal scale. (Modified from Stuck et al., 1979a.)

 — Eyestalks about as long as wide at midlength. Lateral margins of telson armed with simple 

 (non-spatulate) spiniform setae (Fig. 25) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Figure 25

(A) telson: Metamysidopsis swifti; (B) telson: Americamysis bigelowi; (C) dorsal view of carapace: 

Metamysidopsis swifti; (D) telson: Americamysis bahia; (E) dorsal view of carapace: Americamysis bahia. 

(Modified from Stuck et al., 1979a.)
18

13. Carapace with spine on each anterolateral margin, just posterior to eyes. Antennal scale narrow, 

lanceolate, 10–11 times longer than greatest width. Thoracic endopods 3–8 have carpo-propodus 

divided into 5–9 small articles. Telson relatively long and narrowing to a truncated point, length 

about 2–2.5 times greater than greatest width near base, each lateral margin armed with 22–42 

spiniform setae (those on posterior 2/3 of each margin arranged in groups of 1–3 with small setae 

between larger ones), apex armed with 2 pairs of spiniform setae (outer pair about 3–4 times length 

 of inner medial pair) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Neomysis americana (Fig. 26)

Figure 26

Neomysis americana: (A) anterior end of carapace with eyestalks; (B) telson; (C) uropod; (D) antenna 

with antennal scale; (E) thoracic endopod. (Modified from Williams, 1974.) 

Couplet continued on next page.
19

 — Carapace lacking spines on anterolateral margin behind eyes. Antennal scale less than 8 times 

longer than greatest width. Thoracic endopods 3–8 have carpo-propodus divided into 2–3 articles. 

Telson tapering to a rounded apex, length less than twice greatest width near base, each lateral 

margin armed with fewer than 20 spiniform setae (not alternating in size and length, but generally 

 increasing in size posteriorly) (Fig. 27) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Figure 27

(A) anterior end of carapace: Americamysis bigelowi; (B) telson: Americamysis bigelowi; (C) telson: 

Metamysidopsis swifti; (D) distal end of thoracic endopod: Mysidopsis sp. (mortenseni complex); (E) 

antenna with antennal scale: Americamysis bahia; (F) anterior end of carapace: Metamysidopsis swifti; (G) 

telson: Americamysis bahia; (H) telson: Americamysis almyra; (I) antenna with antennal scale: Mysidopsis sp. 

(mortenseni complex). (A–C, E–G: modified from Stuck et al., 1979a; D, I: original illustrations.)

Key continued on next page.
20

14. Maxilla lacking exopod. Telson with spiniform setae only on posterior 1/3 of lateral margins, apex 

 armed with two large distinct spiniform setae . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Metamysidopsis swifti (Fig. 28)

Figure 28

Metamysidopsis swifti: (A) dorsal view of carapace; (B) antenna with antennal scale; (C) telson; (D) uropod; 

(E) maxilla without palp (exopod). (A–D: modified from Stuck et al., 1979a; E: modified from Tattersall, 

1951.)

 — Maxilla with exopod. Telson armed with spiniform setae along the posterior 2/3 or more of lateral 

 margins, apex armed with more than two large distinct spiniform setae (Fig. 29) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 

Figure 29

(A) Maxilla with palp (exopod); (B) telson: Americamysis almyra; (C) telson: Mysidopsis sp. (mortenseni

complex); (D) telson: Americamysis bigelowi. (A: modified from Tattersall, 1951; B–D: modified from 

Stuck et al., 1979a.)
21

15. Antennal scale less than 3.5 times as long as greatest width, with distal article. Carpo-propodus of 

thoracic endopods 3–8 have 3 articles. Uropodal endopod inner margin armed with row of 19–28 

relatively large spiniform setae extending to distal end of endopod. Telson with large spiniform 

setae on apex slightly larger than those on lateral margins (being less than 1/7 of telson length)

 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Mysidopsis sp. (mortenseni complex) (Fig. 30)

Figure 30

Mysidopsis sp. (mortenseni complex): (A) antenna with antennal scale; (B) uropod; (C) telson; 

(D) distal end of thoracic endopod 3. (All original illustrations.)

 — Antennal scale more than 5 times as long as greatest width, lacking distal article. Carpo-propodus 

of thoracic endopods 3–8 have 2 articles. Uropodal endopod inner margin armed with fewer than 7 

spiniform setae barely extending distally past statocyst. Telson with spiniform setae on apex distinctly 

larger than those on lateral margins (being at least 1/5 of telson length) (Fig. 31) (Americamysis)

 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Figure 31

(A) antenna with antennal scale: Americamysis bigelowi; (B) thoracic endopod 3: Americamysis 

bigelowi; (C) telson: Americamysis bahia; (D) uropod: Americamysis bigelowi; (E) telson: Americamysis 

bigelowi. (A, C–E modified from Stuck et al., 1979a; B: modified from Tattersall, 1951.)
22

16. Carpo-propodus of second thoracic endopod with a series of 4–12 spiniform setae on distal 1/2 to 

2/3 of inner margin of the first article; merus with 2 setae on proximal inner margin. Uropodal 

endopod usually with 4–5 (rarely 3 or 6) spiniform setae on inner margin near distal edge of statocyst. Telson with 3 pairs of large terminal setae, all distinctly longer than lateral setae, the innermost 

 being about 1/3 the length of telson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Americamysis bigelowi (Fig. 32)

Figure 32

Americamysis bigelowi: (A) dorsal view of carapace; (B) antenna with antennal scale; (C) thoracic endopod 2; 

(D) uropod; (E) telson. (A, C–E: modified from Stuck et al., 1979a; B: modified from Tattersall, 1951.)

Couplet continued on next page.
23

 — Carpo-propodus of second thoracic endopod with 2–4 setae on distal part of inner margin of first 

article; merus with 4–18 setae on proximal 2/3 of inner margin. Uropodal endopod usually with 

1–3 (sometimes 4–5) spiniform setae on inner margin near distal edge of statocyst. Apex of telson 

with 3–8 pairs of closely-set terminal setae, outermost pair being only slightly longer than adjacent 

 lateral setae, innermost pair being no more than 1/4 length of telson (Fig. 33) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Figure 33

(A) thoracic endopod 2; (B) telson: Americamysis bahia; (C) uropod: Americamysis bahia; (D) uropod: 

Americamysis almyra; (E) telson: Americamysis almyra. (A: original illustration; B–E modified from Stuck 

et al., 1979a.)

Key continued on next page.
24

17. Anterior margin of carapace (rostral shield) broadly rounded. Uropodal endopod usually with 1 

spiniform seta on inner margin near distal edge of statocyst. Telson with apex usually bearing 4–8 

 pairs of terminal spiniform setae gradually increasing in length medially . . . .Americamysis almyra (Fig. 34)

Figure 34

Americamysis almyra: (A) dorsal view of carapace;(B) antenna with antennal scale; (C) uropod; (D) 

telson. (Modified from Stuck et al., 1979a.)

 — Anterior margin of carapace produced to form a short triangular rostrum. Uropodal endopod 

usually with 2–3 (occasionally 1 or 4–5) spiniform setae on inner margin near distal edge of statocyst. Telson with apex usually bearing 3–6 pairs of terminal spiniform setae abruptly increasing in 

 length medially . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Americamysis bahia (Fig. 35)

Figure 35

Americamysis bahia: (A) dorsal view of carapace; (B) antenna with antennal scale; (C) telson; (D) 

uropod. (Modified from Stuck et al., 1979a.)
25

Annotated list of mysids from 

the South Atlantic Bight

The following list contains those mysid species known 

or likely to occur in the coastal and offshore waters of 

the SAB. Comments are presented on the distribution 

of each species and on the ecology and taxonomy of 

selected species.

FAMILY MYSIDAE Haworth, 1825

SUBFAMILY SIRIELLINAE Norman, 1892

Siriella thompsonii (H. Milne-Edwards, 1837)

(Fig. 22)

Cynthia thompsoni H. Milne-Edwards, 1837: 462.

Siriella thompsonii.—Sars, 1885: 205, Plate 36, Figs. 

1–24.—Ii, 1964: 62, Figs. 14–15.—Pillai, 1965: 1693, Fig. 

19.—Stuck et al., 1979a: 234, Figs. 2f, 3f, 4f, 5f.—Stuck 

et al., 1979b: 244.

Material examined. SERTC #S43, off St. Simons Island, 

GA, 31°8.10ʹN, 79°55.00ʹW, 55 m, coll. MRRI staff, 11 

September 1980.

Known distribution. Oceanic with wide distribution in 

tropical and temperate waters of the world (Stuck et 

al., 1979b).

Remarks. Although this is the first record for this widely 

distributed species in the waters of the SAB, the occurrence of Siriella thompsonii was not unexpected.

SUBFAMILY GASTROSACCINAE Norman, 1892

Anchialina typica (Krøyer, 1861)

(Fig. 6)

Anchialus typicus Krøyer, 1861: 53, Plate 2, Fig. 7a–1.—

Sars, 1885: 193, Plate 34, Figs. 4–24.

Anchialina typica.—Hansen, 1910: 52, Plate 7, Fig. 

2a–k.—Nouvel, 1943: 70, Plate 4, Figs. 109–110.—Tattersall, 1955: 89, Fig. 15.—Ii, 1964: 188, Figs. 48–49.—Pillai, 

1964: 18, Fig. 10.—Pillai, 1965: 1700, Figs. 32–34.—Brattegard, 1970: 24, Fig. 6.—Nouvel, 1971: 325, Fig. 1.—

Stuck et al., 1979a: 227, Figs. 2a, 3a, 4a, 5a.—Stuck et al., 

1979b: 244.—B

acescu and Ortiz, 1984: 16, Fig. 1b.

Material examined. SERTC #S27, Charleston ODA, SC, 

32°42.50ʹN, 79°51.60ʹW, 8–17 m, coll. MRRI staff, August 

1978. SERTC #S44, off St. Simons Island, GA, 31°8.10ʹN, 

79°55.00ʹW, 55 m, coll. MRRI staff, 11 September 1980. 

SERTC #S47, off Cumberland Island, GA, 30°54.30ʹN, 

80°36.10ʹW, 34 m, coll. GADNR staff, 26 March 1980. 

DML #2130, off Bogue Banks, Cape Lookout, NC, 

34°28.50ʹN, 76°07.00ʹW, 40 m, coll. J. Day, 30 September 1965. DML #4345 (labeled Bowmaniella poctoricensis

[sic]), off Cape Fear, NC, 33°32.40ʹN, 77°25.10ʹW, 

30 m, 13 August 1981. DML #4356 [in part] (labeled 

Bowmaniella sp.), off Bogue Banks, Cape Lookout, NC, 

34°24.20ʹN, 76°35.80ʹW, 25 m, 13 August 1981.

Known distribution. Widely distributed in the tropical 

and sub-tropical regions of the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific oceans (Tattersall, 1951; Ii, 1964; Brattegard, 1970, 

1973, 1975; B

acescu and Ortiz, 1984; Price et al., 2002; 

Price and Heard, 2004); waters off Nova Scotia (Nouvel, 

1943); South Carolina (Wigley and Burns, 1971); Gulf 

of Mexico (Hopkins, 1966; Stuck et al., 1979a, b; Modlin, 1984; Price et al., 1986).

Other regional records. Van Dolah et al., 1983; Wenner 

et al., 1984; MRRI2,3,4; Van Dolah et al.5.

Remarks. The occurrence of this widely distributed 

species in the offshore waters of the SAB was previously 

documented by Wigley and Burns (1971).

2

 MRRI. 1981. Final Report, South Atlantic OCS Area Living Marine 

Resources Study, Vol. III: Appendices (to An investigation of live 

bottom habitats south of Cape Fear, North Carolina, Vol. 1 and 

An investigation of live bottom habitats north of Cape Fear, North 

Carolina, Vol. 2). Prepared for Bureau of Land Management, Washington, D.C., Contract AA551-CT9-27, 180 p. Marine Resources Research Institute, South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, 

P.O. Box 12559, Charleston SC 29422; Coastal Resources Division, 

Georgia Department of Natural Resources, One Conservation Way, 

Brunswick, GA 31520; Duke University Marine Laboratory, 135 

Duke Marine Lab Road, Beaufort, NC 28516-9721.

3

 MRRI. 1982. Final Report, South Atlantic OCS Area Living Marine Resources Study, Year 2. Vol. III: Appendices (to An investigation of live-bottom habitats off South Carolina and Georgia, Vol. 1 and

An investigation of live-bottom habitats off North Carolina, Vol. 2). Prepared for Minerals Management Service, Washington, D. C., Contract AA551-CT1-18, 263 p. Marine Resources Research Institute, 

South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, P.O. Box 12559, 

Charleston SC 29422 and Duke University Marine Laboratory, 135 

Duke Marine Lab Road, Beaufort, NC 28516-9721.

4

 MRRI. 1984. Final Report, South Atlantic OCS Area Living Marine Resources Study, Phase III. Vol. II: Appendices. Prepared 

for Minerals Management Service, Washington, D. C., Contract 

14-12-0001-29185, 82 p. Marine Resources Research Institute, 

South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, P.O. Box 12559, 

Charleston SC 29422.

5

 Van Dolah, R. F., P. H. Wendt, D. A. Goldman, A. B. Wrona, R. A. 

Pardieck, and M. V. Levisen. 1997. An assessment of benthic infaunal assemblages and sediments in the vicinity of the Charleston 

ocean dredged material disposal area. Final Report to the U.S. 

Army Corps of Engineers, Charleston District. Charleston, SC, 59 p. 

and appendices. Marine Resources Research Institute, South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, P.O. Box 12559, Charleston 

SC 29422.
26

Bowmaniella dissimilis (Coifmann, 1937)

(Fig. 8)

Gastrosaccus dissimilis Coifmann, 1937: 5, Figs. 2–3.—

Tattersall, 1951: 97, Fig. 29.—Costa, 1964: 4, Plate 1, 

Figs. 1–4.

Bowmaniella dissimilis.—B

acescu, 1968b: 363, Fig. 

4.—Brattegard, 1970: 9, 11, Fig. 2.

Bowmaniella brasiliensis B

acescu, 1968b: 363, Figs. 5a–c, 

6.—Brattegard, 1974a: 91.—Price, 1978: 173.—Stuck et 

al., 1979a: 226 (key), 233, Figs. 2d, 3d, 4c, 5d, 7.—Stuck 

et al., 1979b: 244.—Price, 1982: 13, Fig. 4.

Bowmaniella floridana Holmquist, 1975: 68.—Stuck et 

al., 1979a: 226 (key), 232, Figs. 2c, 3c, 4d, 5c, 6.—Stuck 

et al., 1979b: 244.—Price, 1982: 14, Figs. 2, 3.

Material examined. SERTC #S11, Murrells Inlet, SC, 

33°31.90ʹN, 79°1.80ʹW, coll. MRRI staff, 13 July 1982. 

SERTC #S13, Murrells Inlet, SC, 33°31.60ʹN, 79°1.70ʹW, 

coll. MRRI staff, 13 July 1982. SERTC #S14, Murrells Inlet, 

SC, 33°31.90ʹN, 79°1.90ʹW, coll. MRRI staff, 15 July 1982. 

SERTC #S15, Murrells Inlet, SC, 33°33.00ʹN, 79°0.90ʹW, 

coll. MRRI staff, 16 July 1982. SERTC #S17, Murrells Inlet, SC, 33°33.50ʹN, 79°0.70ʹW, coll. MRRI staff, no collection date. SERTC #S20, Charleston ODA, SC, 32°42.50ʹN, 

79°51.60ʹW, 8–17 m, coll. MRRI staff, August 1978. SERTC 

#S29, Charleston ODA, SC, 32°42.50ʹN, 79°51.60ʹW, 

8–17 m, coll. MRRI staff, August 1978. SERTC #S32, 

Georgetown ODMDS, SC, 33°12.17ʹN, 79°7.05ʹW, 9 m, 

coll. MRRI staff, 13 July 1983. SERTC #S34, Georgetown 

ODMDS, SC, 33°12.17ʹN, 79°7.05ʹW, 9 m, coll. MRRI 

staff, 13 July 1983. SERTC #S37, Georgetown ODMDS, 

SC, 33°12.42ʹN, 79°5.30ʹW, 11 m, coll. MRRI staff, 14 July 

1983. SERTC #S38, Georgetown ODMDS, SC, 33°13.20ʹN, 

79°8.00ʹW, coll. MRRI staff, 1983. SERTC #S60, entrance 

to Charleston Harbor, SC, 32°40.33ʹN, 79°47.12ʹW, 12.7 

m, coll. MRRI staff, 28 January 1987. SERTC #S64, Port 

Royal Sound, SC, 32°17.83ʹN, 80°45.92ʹW, coll. MRRI 

staff, October 1987. SERTC #S67, southwest end of 

Folly Beach, SC, 32°38.23ʹN, 79°58.50ʹW, 0.7 m, coll. 

D.M. Knott, 26 February 2002. SERTC #S73, Charleston ODMDS, SC, 32°40.51ʹN, 79°45.50ʹW, 10.7 m, coll. 

MRRI staff, 11 September 2000. SERTC #S74, Charleston ODMDS, SC, 32°40.00ʹN, 79°44.69ʹW, 11.5 m, coll. 

MRRI staff, 11September 2000. SERTC #S78, Charleston 

ODMDS, SC, 32°40.39ʹN, 79°45.58ʹW, 10.9 m, coll. MRRI 

staff, 11 September 2000. SERTC #S79, Charleston ODMDS, SC, 32°40.70ʹN, 79°45.70ʹW, 10.5 m, coll. MRRI 

staff, 11 September 2000. SERTC #S85, south of Bird Key, 

Folly River, SC, 32°37.54ʹN, 79°58.34ʹW, 3 m, coll. D.M. 

Knott, 12 September 2003. SERTC #S729, front beach 

at North Island, SC, 33°13.33ʹN, 79°10.56ʹW, 2 m, coll. 

D.M. Allen, 13 October 2003. SERTC #S733 collection, 

off north jetty at entrance to Winyah Bay, SC, 33°12.40ʹN, 

79°07.36ʹW, 7 m, coll. D.M. Allen, 12 November 2003. 

SERTC #S1234, off Little Tybee Island, GA, 31°58.40ʹN, 

80°51.40ʹW, intertidal, coll. R.W. Heard, 10 June 1991. 

SERTC #S1235, between Wyley’s dock and groins, Tybee 

Island, GA, 31°59.30ʹN, 80°51.40ʹW, 0.5–1.0 m, coll. R.W. 

Heard, 5 October 1991. SERTC #S1238, near Wyley’s 

dock, Tybee Island, GA, 31°59.30ʹN, 80°51.40ʹW, coll. 

R.W. Heard, 10 May 1991. SERTC #S1244, North Inlet, 

SC, 33°19.50ʹN, 79°9.80ʹW, 8.0–10.0 m, coll. D.M. Allen, 

17 June 1986. SERTC #S1245, Clambank Creek, North 

Inlet, SC, 33°20.08ʹN, 79°11.33ʹW, 10.2 m, coll. D.M. Allen, 2 November 1979.

Known distribution. U.S. Atlantic coast, Indian River 

Inlet, DE (Hopkins, 1965); Gulf of Mexico, southwestern Florida (Brattegard, 1970) to Veracruz, Mexico 

(B

acescu, 1968b); Caribbean coast of Colombia (Brattegard, 1974b); Brazil (Coifmann, 1937; Costa, 1964; 

B

acescu, 1968b).

Other regional records. Holland, 1974; Shealy et al., 

1975; DeLancey, 1984, 1987; Van Dolah et al., 1984; Fox 

and Ruppert, 1985; Dubick6; Heard, pers. observ.; Jutte 

et al.7; Knott et al.8;Van Dolah et al.9; Vittor and Associates10; Zimmerman11.

 6 Dubick, J. D. Personal commun. YEAR. National Benthic Infaunal 

Database of the Center for Coastal Environmental Health and Biomolecular Research, National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science, 

NOAA, 219 Fort Johnson Road, Charleston, SC 29412-9110.

7

 Jutte, P. C., R. F. Van Dolah, G. W. Eason, Jr., and M. V. Levisen. 

1999. An assessment of benthic infaunal assemblages and sediments in the vicinity of the Port Royal Ocean Dredged Material 

Disposal Site. Final Report to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, 

Charleston District. Charleston, SC, 55 p. Marine Resources Research Institute, South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, 

P.O. Box 12559, Charleston SC 29422-2559.

8

 Knott, D. M., R. F. Van Dolah, and D. R. Calder. 1984. Ecological effects of rubble weir jetty construction at Murrells Inlet, South Carolina. Volume II: Changes in macrobenthic communities of sandy 

beach and nearshore environments. Technical Report EL-84-4, 

prepared by the Marine Resources Research Institute, Charleston, 

SC, for Coastal Engineering Research Center, U.S. Army Engineer 

Waterways Experiment Station, Vicksburg, MS, 98 p. Marine Resources Research Institute, South Carolina Department of Natural 

Resources, P.O. Box 12559, Charleston SC 29422.

9

 Van Dolah, R. F., D. M. Knott, and D. R. Calder. 1984. Ecological 

effects of rubble weir jetty construction at Murrells Inlet, South 

Carolina. Volume I: Colonization and community development on 

new jetties. Technical Report EL-84-4, prepared by the Marine Resources Research Institute, Charleston, SC, for Coastal Engineering Research Center, U.S. Army Engineer Waterways Experiment 

Station, Vicksburg, MS, 69 p. and appendices. Marine Resources 

Research Institute, South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, P.O. Box 12559, Charleston SC 29422.

10 Vittor, B.A., and Associates. 2000. Benthic sampling of the nearshore area off Brunswick Harbor, Georgia. Final Report to the U.S. 

Army Corps of Engineers, Savannah District. Savannah, GA, 32 p. 

Barry A. Vittor & Associates, Inc., 8060 Cottage Hill Rd., Mobile, 

AL 36695.

11 Zimmerman, L. E. Unpubl. data from the South Carolina Estuarine and Coastal Assessment Program. Marine Resources Research 

Institute, South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, P.O. 

Box 12559, Charleston, SC 29422-2559.
27

Remarks. Bowmaniella dissimilis is confined to Atlantic 

inshore waters and is known along the coasts of the 

Americas from Brazil to the United States. It is readily 

distinguished from the other mysids from the SAB by 

the presence of an articulated, dorsal process on the 

fifth abdominal segment. This relatively large, sand 

burrowing species is a common resident along the 

beaches of the SAB, where is usually co-occurs with 

Metamysidopsis swifti. The systematics and taxonomy of B. 

dissimilis and the other species currently assigned to the 

genus Bowmaniella B

acescu 1968b have been reviewed by 

Heard and Price (In press). Based on their observations, 

the records for B. brasiliensis and B. floridana from the 

SAB are attributable to B. dissimilis.

Bowmaniella mexicana (Tattersall, 1951)

(Fig. 9)

Gastrosaccus mexicanus Tattersall, 1951: 98, Fig. 30.—

Day et al., 1971: Appendix A.

Bowmaniella (Coifmaniella) mexicana.—B

acescu, 1968b: 

356.

Bowmaniella portoricensis B

acescu, 1968b: 357, Figs. 1, 

2a–e, 3a–b.—Brattegard, 1970: 9, Tables 7–8.—Wigley 

and Burns, 1971: 721–722 (map).—Stuck et al., 1979a: 

227, Figs. 2b, 3b, 4b, 5b.—Stuck et al., 1979b: 244.

Bowmaniella (Bowmaniella) atlantica Silva, 1971: 159 

(=Gastrosaccus brasiliensis sensu Silva, 1970: 35, Fig. 1).

Gastrosaccus johnsoni (not Gastrosaccus johnsoni Tattersall, 1937).—Howard and Frey, 1975: 13.—Frankenberg 

and Leiper, 1977: 390, Table 6.

Bowmaniella gutzui Ortiz, 1988: 4, Fig. 1.

Material examined. SERTC #S25, Charleston ODA, SC, 

32°42.50ʹN, 79°51.60ʹW, 8–17 m, coll. MRRI staff, August 

1978. SERTC #S41, off Sapelo Island, GA, 31°23.40ʹN, 

80°53.00ʹW, 18 m, coll. MRRI staff, 10 August 1980. 

SERTC #S46, off Folly Beach, SC, 32°29.60ʹN, 79°42.50ʹW, 

19 m, coll. MRRI staff, 21 January 1980. SERTC #S48, 

off Cumberland Island, GA, 30°54.30ʹN, 80°36.10ʹW, 

34 m, coll. GADNR staff, 26 March 1980. SERTC #S51, 

off Sapelo Island, GA, 31°23.50ʹN, 80°52.80ʹW, 17 m, 

coll. MRRI staff, 27 April 1981. SERTC #S59, off St. 

Catherine’s Island, GA, 31°38ʹN, 80°30ʹW, 20 m, coll. 

MRRI staff, 29 November 1982. SERTC #S61, entrance 

to Charleston Harbor, SC, 32°38.47ʹN, 79°44.82ʹW, 12.1 

m, coll. MRRI staff, 17 July 1987. SERTC #S75, Charleston Harbor ODMDS, SC, 32°26.90ʹN, 79°43.50ʹW, 14.6 

m, coll. MRRI staff, 23 September 2002. USNM #98611 

(labeled as Bowmaniella johnsoni), off South Carolina, 

33°02ʹN, 78° 21ʹW, 0–9 m, 2 March 1953. USNM #99316 

(labeled as Bowmaniella johnsoni), off South Carolina, 33°33.7ʹN, 78°24.6ʹW, 20.1 m, 8 May 1953. USNM 

#99386 (labeled as Bowmaniella johnsoni), off Georgia, 

32°38.2ʹN, 80°14.2ʹW, 0–17 m, 5 August 1953. USNM 

#106193 (labeled as Bowmaniella johnsoni), off North 

Carolina, 35°02ʹN, 75°46ʹW, 0–11 m, 13 November 

1953. USNM #174759 (labeled as Bowmaniella sewelli), 

off Cape Fear, NC, 33°20ʹN, 77°46ʹW, 28 m, coll. Texas 

Instruments, Inc., South Atlantic Benchmark Program, 

11 February 1977. USNM #174760 (labeled as B. sewelli) 

off St. Simons Island, GA, 31°08ʹN, 80°50ʹW, 19 m, coll. 

Texas Instruments, Inc., South Atlantic Benchmark 

Program, 23 November 1977. DML #2127 (labeled as 

Gastrosaccus sp.), off Bogue Banks, Cape Lookout, NC, 

34°24.00ʹN, 76°05.50ʹW, 35 m, coll. J. Day, 6 April 1965. 

DML #4344 (labeled as Bowmaniella poctoricensis [sic]), 

off Cape Fear, NC, 33°32.40ʹN, 77°25.00ʹW, 29 m, 13 

August 1981. DML #4346 (labeled as Bowmaniella poctoricensis [sic]), off Cape Fear, NC, 33°32.50ʹN, 77°25.00ʹW, 

32 m, 13 August 1981. DML #4355 (labeled Bowmaniella

sp.), off Cape Fear, NC, 33°32.30ʹN, 77°25.00ʹW, 33 m, 

5 May 1981. DML #4356 [in part] (labeled Bowmaniella

sp.), off Bogue Banks, Cape Lookout, NC, 34°24.20ʹN, 

76°35.80ʹW, 25 m, 13 August 1981.

Known distribution. Gulf of Mexico, Cape San Blas, 

Florida; Panama (Pacific coast) (Tattersall, 1951); South 

Atlantic Bight (Day et. al., 1971; Wigley and Burns, 1971; 

Howard and Frey, 1975 [as Gastrosaccus johnsoni]; Frankenberg and Leiper, 1977 [as Gastrosaccus johnsoni]).

Other regional records. B

acescu, 1968b (as B. portoricensis); Wenner et al., 1984; MRRI2,3,4; Dubick6

 (from 

Gray’s Reef, GA); Knott et al.8 (as G. johnsoni); Jutte et 

al.12; Jutte et al.13; Jutte et al.14.

12 Jutte, P. C., R. F. Van Dolah, M. V. Levisen, P. Donovan-Ealy, P. T. 

Gayes, and W. E. Baldwin. 1999. An environmental monitoring 

study of the Myrtle Beach Renourishment Project: Physical and 

Biological Assessment of Offshore Sand Borrow Sites. Phase I – 

Cherry Grove Borrow Area. Final Report to the U.S. Army Corps 

of Engineers, Charleston District. Charleston, SC. 79 p. and appendices. Marine Resources Research Institute, South Carolina 

Department of Natural Resources, P.O. Box 12559, Charleston SC 

29422 and Center for Marine and Wetlands Studies, Coastal Carolina University, P.O. Box 1954, Conway, SC 29526.

13 Jutte, P. C., R. F. Van Dolah, G. Y. Ojeda and P. T. Gayes. 2001. An 

environmental monitoring study of the Myrtle Beach Renourishment Project: Physical and biological assessment of offshore sand 

borrow sites. Phase II – Cane South Borrow Area. Final Report to 

the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Charleston District. Charleston, 

SC. 70 p. and appendices. Marine Resources Research Institute, 

South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, P.O. Box 12559, 

Charleston SC 29422 and Center for Marine and Wetlands Studies, 

Coastal Carolina University, P.O. Box 1954, Conway, SC 29526.

14 Jutte, P. C., L. E. Zimmerman, R. F. Van Dolah, G. Y. Ojeda and P. 

T. Gayes. 2001. An environmental monitoring study of the Myrtle 

Beach Renourishment Project: Physical and biological assessment 

of offshore sand borrow sites. Phase III – Surfside/Garden City 

Borrow Area. Final Report to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, 

Charleston District. Charleston, SC, 80 p. and appendices. Marine 

Resources Research Institute, South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, P.O. Box 12559, Charleston SC 29422 and Center 

for Marine and Wetlands Studies, Coastal Carolina University, P.O. 

Box 1954, Conway, SC 29526.
28

Remarks. This species appears to be a senior synonym of Bowmaniella portoricensis, Bowmaniella 

atlantica, Silva, 1971 and Bowmaniella gutzui Ortiz, 

1988. Bowmaniella mexicana exhibits the penultimate 

male stage while the ultimate male stage is represented by the other three species (Heard and Price, 

In press). Bowmaniella atlantica and B. gutzui are 

reported from Brazil (Silva, 1971) and Cuba (Ortiz, 

1988), respectively, and B. portoricensis is documented 

from off Cape Hatteras, North Carolina to Ft. Pierce, 

Florida on the U.S. Atlantic coast (B

acescu, 1968b; 

Wigley and Burns, 1971; Camp et al., 1977) and 

off Mississippi in the Gulf of Mexico (Stuck et al., 

1979a, b).

SUBFAMILY MYSINAE Hansen, 1910

 Tribe Erythropini Hansen, 1910

Amathimysis brattegardi Stuck and Heard, 1981

(Fig. 20)

Amathimysis brattegardi Stuck and Heard, 1981: 272, 

Figs. 1–2.—Price et al., 1986: 48.

Material examined. SERTC #S40, off Cumberland Island, GA, 30°54.00ʹN, 80°36.30ʹW, 35.5 m, coll. MRRI 

staff, 1980. SERTC #S49, off Savannah River, GA, 

31°32.20ʹN, 79°44.20ʹW, 57 m, coll. MRRI staff, 10 May 

1981. SERTC #S726, off Winyah Bay, SC, 33°15.26ʹN, 

78°54.74ʹW, 15 m, coll. D.M. Allen, 12 August 2003.

Known distribution. Gulf of Mexico, continental shelf 

waters off Tampa Bay (Stuck and Heard, 1981) and 

northern Texas coast (Price et al., 1986).

Other regional records. MRRI2

.

Remarks. This is the first published record for Amathimysis brattegardi in the SAB, as well as for the entire 

U.S. Atlantic coast. Our SAB records also represent 

the second report of this small species since its original description, which was based on specimens from 

the shallow shelf waters off the Florida west coast 

(Stuck and Heard, 1981). In the Gulf of Mexico, Amathimysis brattegardi occurred on sand-shell substrata 

at depths of 11–51m (Stuck and Heard, 1981; Price 

et al., 1986). In the waters of the SAB it was found 

associated with live bottoms (rocky outcroppings) 

off the mouth of Winyah Bay, South Carolina and 

Savannah Scarp, Georgia at depths of 15 and 57 m, 

respectively.

Amathimysis sp. (nr. serrata)

(Fig. 21)

Material examined. SERTC #S86, off Savannah River, 

GA, 31°32.0ʹN, 79°44.8ʹW, 57 m, coll. MRRI staff, 5 

August 1981.

Other regional records. MRRI2

 (as Amathimysis sp. A).

Remarks. The two specimens available for study were 

collected on live bottom (rocky outcropping) habitats 

off Georgia at 57 m. Unfortunately, these specimens have 

been damaged by desiccation. They are adult males, which 

based largely on the setation of the telson appear to have 

their closest affinity to Amathimysis serrata Murano, 1986. 

The SAB specimens may be conspecific with this species 

or they may represent a closely related, undescribed species. Additional specimens in good condition are needed 

to resolve the identification of the SAB specimens.

 Tribe Leptomysini Hansen, 1910

Americamysis almyra (Bowman, 1964)

(Fig. 34)

Mysidopsis almyra Bowman, 1964: 15, Figs. 1–24.—Brattegard, 1969: 50, Fig. 14.—Stuck et al., 1979a: 236, Figs. 

2m, 3m, 4m, 5n.—Stuck et al., 1979b: 245.—Price, 1982: 

17, Figs. 22–25.

Americamysis almyra.—Price et al., 1994: 680.

Material examined. SERTC #S68, above Hwy 17 bridge, 

Combahee River, SC, 32°40.56ʹN, 80°46.32ʹW, 4.8–5.5 

m, coll. D.M. Knott, 16 July 2002.

Known distribution. U.S. Atlantic coast from Patapsco 

River, Maryland (Grabe, 1981) to St. Johns River, Florida 

(Price and Vodopich, 1979); Gulf of Mexico, southwestern Florida to Terminos Lagoon, Mexico (Escobar-Briones and Soto, 1988).

Other regional records. Stuck et al., 1979b; Heard, pers. 

observ.

Remarks. Since this inshore species was previously 

known from Maryland, the east coast of Florida (from 

an oligohaline lake [Lake Monroe] at the head-waters 

of the St. Johns River drainage system in central Florida) 

and throughout the Gulf of Mexico, its presence in lowsalinity waters of the SAB is not unexpected.

Americamysis bahia (Molenock, 1969)

(Fig. 35)

Mysidopsis bahia Molenock, 1969: 113, Figs. 1–18.—

Brattegard, 1970: 28, Fig. 7.—Stuck et al., 1979a: 236, 

Figs. 2l, 3l, 4l, 5m.—Stuck et al., 1979b: 245.—Price, 

1982: 18, Figs. 26–28.
29

Mysidopsis bigelowi Williams, 1972: 256 (in part).

Americamysis bahia.—Price et al., 1994: 680.

Material examined. SERTC #S1237, between Wyley’s dock and groins, Tybee Island, GA, 31°59.30ʹN, 

80°51.40ʹW, 0.5–1.0 m, coll. R.W. Heard, 5 October 

1991. SERTC #S1239, near Wyley’s dock, Tybee Island, 

GA, 31°59.30ʹN, 80°51.40ʹW, coll. R.W. Heard, 10 May 

1991. SERTC #S1659, from salt marsh off Wappoo Creek, 

near Charleston Harbor, SC, 32°46.53ʹN, 80°00.07ʹW, intertidal, coll. MRRI staff, 17 January 1991.

Known distribution. U.S. Atlantic coast from Narragansett, Rhode Island (Lussier et al., 1988) to Beaufort, 

North Carolina (Williams, 1972; Fulton, 1982a15), South 

Carolina and Georgia (this report), Gulf of Mexico, 

southwestern Florida to Terminos Lagoon, Mexico (Escobar-Briones and Soto, 1988).

Remarks. Of the presently known species of Americamysis, A. bahia appears to have the widest distribution 

(Rhode Island southward to Florida and along the Gulf 

of Mexico to Terminos Lagoon, Mexico). The presence 

of A. bahia in North Carolina waters near Beaufort was 

reported by Fulton (1982b). Also, one of us (RWH) 

examined some of the few remaining plankton samples 

from Williams’ (1972) study in North Carolina waters 

and determined that many of the specimens that had 

been identified as Mysidopsis bigelowi were Americamysis 

bahia. In addition to the records given here for South 

Carolina and Georgia, RWH has examined material 

from near St. Augustine in northeastern Florida.

Americamysis bigelowi (Tattersall, 1926)

(Fig. 32)

Mysidopsis bigelowi Tattersall, 1926: 10, Plate 1, Figs. 

1–8.—Tattersall, 1951: 139, Fig. 50.

Americamysis bigelowi.—Price et al., 1994: 680.

Material examined. SERTC #S9, Murrells Inlet, SC, 

33°30.90ʹN, 79°2.70ʹW, coll. MRRI staff, 1978. SERTC 

#S23, Charleston ODA, SC, 32°42.50ʹN, 79°51.60ʹW, 

8–17 m, coll. MRRI staff, August 1978. SERTC #S28, 

Charleston ODA, SC, 32°42.50ʹN, 79°51.60ʹW, 8–17 m, 

coll. MRRI staff, August 1978. SERTC #S31, Georgetown 

ODMDS, SC, 33°12.42ʹN, 79°5.30ʹW, 11 m, coll. MRRI 

staff, 16 February 1983. SERTC #S35, Georgetown 

ODMDS, SC, 33°11.92ʹN, 79°6.17ʹW, 9 m, coll. MRRI 

staff, 13 July 1983. SERTC #S57, off Cape Lookout, 

NC, 34°23.40ʹN, 76°33.60ʹW, 19 m, coll. DML staff, 10 

February 1981. SERTC #S65, near Bird Key, Folly River, 

SC, 32°38.13ʹN, 79°58.18ʹW, 2.1–3.6 m, coll. D.M. Knott, 

12 September 2002. SERTC #S71, near Bird Key, Folly 

River, SC, 32°38.15ʹN, 79°59.13ʹW, 4.5–7.3 m, coll. D.M. 

Knott, 12 September 2002. SERTC #S72, confluence 

of Folly and Stono Rivers, SC, 32°37.76ʹN, 79°59.55ʹW, 

6.7–9.7 m, coll. D.M. Knott, 12 September 2003. SERTC 

#S77, Charleston Harbor ODMDS, SC, 32°38.81ʹN, 

79°47.09ʹW, 14.3 m, coll. MRRI staff, 11 September 

2000. SERTC #S83, south of Bird Key, Folly River, SC, 

32°37.54ʹN, 79°58.34ʹW, 3.0 m, coll. D.M. Knott, 12 

September 2003. SERTC #S728, front beach at North 

Island, SC, 33°13.33ʹN, 79°10.56ʹW, 2 m, coll. D.M. Allen, 13 October 2003. SERTC #S732, off north jetty at 

entrance to Winyah Bay, SC, 33°12.40ʹN, 79°07.36ʹW, 7 

m, coll. D.M. Allen, 12 November 2003. SERTC #S1241, 

North Inlet, SC, 33°19.50ʹN, 79°9.80ʹW, intertidal, coll. 

D.M. Allen, 20 September 1979. SERTC #S1243, North 

Inlet, SC, 33°19.50ʹN, 79°9.80ʹW, 8.0–10.0 m, coll. D.M. 

Allen, 17 June 1986. SERTC #S1246, Clambank Creek, 

North Inlet, SC, 33°20.08ʹN, 79°11.33ʹW, 10.2 m, coll. 

D.M. Allen, 2 November 1979.

Known distribution. U.S. Atlantic coast, off Massachusetts (Georges Bank) to just south of Jacksonville, 

Florida (Wigley and Burns, 1971).

Other regional records. Smith, 1971; Wigley and Burns, 

1971; Dörjes, 1972; Sikora et al., 1972; Williams, 1972; 

Kelly, 1978; Howard and Frey, 1975; Van Dolah et al., 

1979; Fulton, 1982a, b; Knott et al., 1983; Van Dolah et 

al. 1983; DeLancey, 1984; Van Dolah et al., 1984; Fox 

and Ruppert, 1985; MRRI3,4; Dubick6; Knott et al.8; Vittor and Associates10; Zimmerman11;Jutte et al.12; Jutte et 

al.13; Van Dolah and Knott16; Van Dolah et al.17.

Remarks. This species appears to be a common inshore 

and shallow to mid-shelf resident of the U.S. Atlantic 

coast. It is the type host for the dajiid parasite Prodajus 

bigelowiensis Schultz and Allen, 1982. This small epica15 Fulton (1982a) only briefly mentions a dissertation, in which experiments were conducted on Americamysis bahia. As we have not 

seen this material, we are not able to confirm this identification.

16 Van Dolah, R. F., and D. M. Knott. 1984. A biological assessment 

of beach and nearshore areas along the South Carolina Grand 

Strand. Final Report to the U.S. Department of the Interior, Fish 

and Wildlife Service, Agreement No. 14-16-004-84-924, 58 p. Marine Resources Research Institute, South Carolina Department of 

Natural Resources, P.O. Box 12559, Charleston, SC 29422.

17 Van Dolah, R. F., P. H. Wendt, C. A. Wenner, R. M. Martore, G. 

R. Sedberry, and C. J. Moore. 1987. Ecological effects of rubble 

weir jetty construction at Murrells Inlet, South Carolina. Volume 

III: Community structure and habitat utilization of fishes and 

decapods associated with the jetties. Technical Report EL-84-4, 

prepared by the Marine Resources Research Institute, Charleston, 

SC, for Environmental Laboratory, U.S. Army Engineer Waterways 

Experiment Station, Vicksburg, MS, 165 p. Marine Resources Research Institute, South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, 

P.O. Box 12559, Charleston SC 29422.
30

ridean isopod specifically infests the marsupium of its 

adult female mysid host, where it occurs in pairs with 

the dwarf, hyperparasitic male, being attached to its 

much larger globular female partner (Schultz and Allen, 1982). The distribution of this and other species of 

Americamysis is given by Price et al. (1994).

Brasilomysis castroi B

acescu, 1968

(Fig. 24)

Brasilomysis castroi B

acescu, 1968a: 81, Figs. 3–4.—Brattegard, 1969: 61, Fig. 18.—Almeida Prado, 1974: 50, 

Figs. 5–7.—Stuck et al., 1979a: 236, Figs. 2n, 3n, 4n, 

5o.—Stuck et al., 1979b: 246.—Price, 1982: 16, Figs. 

13–14.

Brasilomysis cf. castroi.—Howard and Frey, 1975: 13 

(Table).

Material examined. SERTC #S10, off Murrells Inlet, 

SC, 33°31.6ʹN, 79°01.7ʹW, 6 m, coll. MRRI staff, 22 

August 1978. SERTC #S66, northeast end of Bird Key, 

Folly River, SC, 32°38.13ʹN, 79°58.18ʹW, 2.1–3.6 m, coll. 

D.M. Knott, 12 September 2002. SERTC #S70, behind 

Bird Key, Folly River, SC, 32°38.15ʹN, 79°59.13ʹW, 

4.5–7.3 m, coll. D.M. Knott, 12 September 2002. SERTC 

#S80, south of Bird Key, Folly River, SC, 32°37.54ʹN, 

79°58.34ʹW, 3.0 m, coll. D.M. Knott, 12 September 2003. 

SERTC #S731, off north jetty at entrance to Winyah 

Bay, SC, 33°12.40ʹN, 79°07.36ʹW, 7 m, coll. D.M. Allen, 

12 November 2003. SERTC #S1248, Clambank Creek, 

North Inlet, SC, 33°20.08ʹN, 79°11.33ʹW, 10.2 m, coll. 

D.M. Allen, 2 November 1979.

Known distribution. U.S. Atlantic coast, St. Catherine’s 

Sound, Georgia (Stuck et al., 1979b); Gulf of Mexico, 

southwestern Florida (Brattegard, 1969) to Terminos 

Lagoon, Mexico (Escobar-Briones and Soto, 1988); 

Caribbean coasts of Panama (Brattegard, 1974a) and 

Colombia (Brattegard 1973, 1974b); Brazil (B

acescu, 

1968a; Almeida Prado, 1973).

Other regional records. Sikora et al., 1972; Brattegard, 

1974a; Knott et al., 1983; Heard, pers. observ.; Zimmerman11; Jutte et al.12; Van Dolah et al.18.

Remarks. This species was originally described from 

Brazilian waters (B

acescu, 1968a), but has since been 

reported at several localities in the Caribbean, Gulf of 

Mexico, and in south Florida. Brasilomysis castroi appears 

to be a nearshore species that will enter the mouths of 

bays, sounds, and estuaries. Specimens were collected 

from Sapelo Island beach and the mouth of Doboy 

Sound, Georgia during 1968 and 1969 (Heard, pers. 

observ.). Our present records for B. castroi extend its 

range northward into the nearshore waters of South 

Carolina.

Metamysidopsis swifti B

acescu, 1969

(Fig. 28)

Metamysidopsis swifti B

acescu, 1969: 350, Fig. 1.—Brattegard, 1970: 30, Fig. 8.—Brattegard, 1973: 21, Fig. 

7.—Stuck et al., 1979a: 234, Figs. 2h, 3h, 4h, 5h.—Stuck 

et al., 1979b: 245.—Price, 1982: 16, Figs. 15–16.

Metamysidopsis munda.—Tattersall, 1951: 147 (in 

part).—Day et al., 1971: Appendix A.

Metamysidopsis mexicana B

acescu, 1969: 354 (in part).

Material examined. SERTC #S12, Murrell’s Inlet, 

33°31.6ʹN, 79°1.7ʹW, coll. MRRI staff, 13 July 1982. 

SERTC #S19, Murrells Inlet, SC, 33°31.0ʹN, 79°2.6ʹW, 

coll. MRRI staff, 15 November 1977. SERTC #S84, south 

of Bird Key, Folly River, SC, 32°37.54ʹN, 79°58.34ʹW, 

3.0 m, coll. D.M. Knott, 12 September 2003. SERTC 

#S727, front beach at North Island, SC, 33°13.33ʹN, 

79°10.56ʹW, 2 m, coll. D.M. Allen, 13 October 2003. 

SERTC #S730, off north jetty at entrance to Winyah 

Bay, SC, 33°12.40ʹN, 79°07.36ʹW, 7 m, coll. D.M. Allen, 

12 November 2003. SERTC #S1240, North Inlet, SC, 

33°19.50ʹN, 79°9.80ʹW, intertidal, coll. D.M. Allen, 20 

September 1979.

Known distribution. U.S. Atlantic coast from Delaware 

southward into the Gulf of Mexico, Florida, Louisiana, 

Texas, and Veracruz, Mexico (Tattersall, 1951; B

acescu, 

1969; Brattegard, 1970; Day et al., 1971; Price, 1975; 

Stuck et al., 1979a, b); Caribbean coast of Colombia and 

Panama (Brattegard, 1973, 1974b).

Other regional records. Kelly, 1978; Knott et al., 1983; 

DeLancey, 1984; Fox and Ruppert, 1985; Heard, pers. 

observ.; Knott et al.8; Van Dolah et al.17; Jutte et al.19.

Remarks. There has been much confusion concerning the taxonomic status of this species in the waters 

of the southeastern United States. Stuck et al. (1979a) 

18 Van Dolah, R. F., R. M. Martore, A. E. Lynch, M. V. Levisen, P. H. 

Wendt, D. J. Whitaker, and W. D. Anderson. 1994. Environmental 

evaluation of the Folly Beach nourishment project. Final Report to 

the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Charleston District. Charleston, 

SC, 100 p. and appendices. Marine Resources Research Institute, 

South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, P.O. Box 12559, 

Charleston SC 29422.

19 Jutte, P. C., R. F. Van Dolah, and M. V. Levisen. 1999c. An environmental monitoring study of the Myrtle Beach Renourishment Project: Intertidal benthic community assessment. – Phase II – Myrtle 

Beach. Supplemental Report to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, 

Charleston District. Charleston, SC, 38 p. Marine Resources Research Institute, South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, 

P.O. Box 12559, Charleston SC 29422.
31

considered that all of the records for Metamysidopsis in 

the Gulf of Mexico were attributable to M. swifti, and 

all of the material that we have examined from the 

SAB (from NC, SC, and GA) is also referable to this 

species. Based on these observations, we have tentatively referred the SAB records of M. munda sensu Tattersall (1951) and M. mexicana sensu B

acescu (1969) 

from the SAB to M. swifti. For a further discussion of 

the taxonomy of this group of species see Stuck et al. 

(1979a).

Mysidopsis furca Bowman, 1957

(Fig. 13)

Mysidopsis furca Bowman, 1957: 1, Figs. 1–2.—Brattegard, 1969: 47, Fig. 13.—Day et al., 1971: Appendix A.—

Stuck et al., 1979a: 235, Figs. 2k, 3k, 4k, 5k–l.—Stuck et 

al., 1979b: 245.—Price et al., 1986: 50.

Material examined. SERTC #S26, Charleston ODA, 

SC, 32°42.5ʹN, 79°51.6ʹW, 8–17 m, coll. MRRI staff, 

August 1978. SERTC #S42, off St. Simons Island, 

GA, 31°8.1ʹN, 79°55.0ʹW, 55 m, coll. MRRI staff, 11 

September 1980. SERTC #S45, off St. Simons Island, 

GA, 31°7.3ʹN, 79°55.1ʹW, 50 m, coll. MRRI staff, 11 

September 1980. SERTC #S56, off Sapelo Island, 

GA, 31°23.5ʹN, 80°53.3ʹW, 17 m, coll. MRRI staff, 27 

April 1981. SERTC #S62, entrance to Charleston Harbor, SC, 32°39.90ʹN, 79°44.13ʹW, 10.6 m, coll. MRRI 

staff, 16 July 1987. USNM #179059, off Cape Romain, 

SC, 32°50ʹN, 79°04ʹW, 20 m, coll. Texas Instruments, 

Inc., South Atlantic Benchmark Program, 18 November 1977. USNM #179060, off mouth of Savannah 

River, GA, 31°40ʹN, 80°16ʹW, 21 m, coll. Texas Instruments, Inc., South Atlantic Benchmark Program, 27 

August 1977. USNM #179061, off Cape Romain, SC, 

32°50ʹN, 79°04ʹW, 20 m, coll. Texas Instruments, Inc., 

South Atlantic Benchmark Program, 18 November 

1977.

Known distribution. U.S. Atlantic coast, Cape Lookout, 

North Carolina (Day et al., 1971) to Pigeon Key, Florida 

(Brattegard, 1969); Gulf of Mexico, continental shelf 

waters off Mississippi (Stuck et al., 1979b), Louisiana, 

and Texas (Price et al., 1986).

Other regional records. Wigley and Burns, 1971; Wenner 

et al., 1984; MRRI 2,3,4.

Remarks. This species, which was originally described 

from the shelf waters off North Inlet, South Carolina, 

has subsequently been reported from off Cape Lookout, 

North Carolina and from south Florida and the eastern 

and northern Gulf of Mexico. Mysidopsis furca occurs 

both in high salinity bays and sounds and over the 

continental shelf in depths of 1–80 m. The distinctive 

sexual dimorphism exhibited by the telson sets this species apart from other northwestern Atlantic members of 

the genus Mysidopsis.

Mysidopsis sp. (mortenseni complex)

(Fig. 30)

Material examined. SERTC #S22, Charleston ODA, SC, 

32°42.5ʹN, 79°51.6ʹW, 8–17 m, coll. MRRI staff, August 

1978. SERTC #S63, entrance to Charleston Harbor, SC, 

32°39.90ʹN, 79°44.13ʹW, 10.6 m, coll. MRRI staff, 16 July 

1987. SERTC #S1249, marker 30, Back Sound, Carteret 

County, NC, 34°40.02ʹN, 76°31.37ʹW, 1.0 m, coll. L. Eaton, 11 August 1994.

Known distribution. South Atlantic Bight, off North 

Carolina and South Carolina.

Other regional records. Van Dolah et al., 1983 (as Mysidopsis bahia).

Remarks. This species has many similarities with Mysidopsis mortenseni Tattersall, 1951, but there are some 

differences in the setation of the telson, which indicate 

that it may represent an undescribed species. Until 

additional specimens from the area where the species 

was collected can be examined, the taxonomic status of 

these specimens will remain uncertain.

Neobathymysis renoculata (Tattersall, 1951)

(Fig. 14)

Bathymysis renoculata Tattersall, 1951: 153, Figs. 57–

58.—Wigley and Burns, 1971: 729.—Stuck et al., 1979a: 

235, Figs. 2i, 3i, 4i, 5i.—Stuck et al., 1979b: 245.

Neobathymysis renoculata.—Bravo and Murano, 1996: 

501.

Material examined. None.

Known distribution. U.S. Atlantic coast, New England to 

southern tip of Florida (Tattersall, 1951); north central 

Gulf of Mexico (Stuck et al., 1979b).

Remarks. Bravo and Murano (1996) recently transferred this species to the genus Neobathymysis Bravo and 

Murano, 1996. As mentioned in the introduction, this 

deep-water species is included in this guide, because its 

range extends northward and southward of the SAB and 

because it is known to occur in depths of less than 200 m 

(Stuck et al., 1979a, b).

Promysis atlantica Tattersall, 1923

(Fig. 12)
32

Promysis atlantica Tattersall, 1923: 286, Plate 1, Figs. 

5–6.—Tattersall, 1951: 245, Fig. 56.—Clarke, 1956: 1, 

Figs. 1–6.—Costa, 1964: 8, Plate 2, Figs. 1–2.—Day et al., 

1971: Table 5, Appendix A.—Brattegard, 1973: 44, Fig. 

18.—Almeida Prado, 1974: 52, Figs. 15–17.—Stuck et 

al., 1979a: 234, Figs. 2g, 3g, 4g, 5g.—Stuck et al., 1979b: 

244.—Price, 1982: 15, Figs. 5–6.

Material examined. SERTC #S18, Murrells Inlet, 

SC, 33°30.9ʹN, 79°2.4ʹW, coll. MRRI staff, 10 May 

1978. SERTC #S21, Charleston ODA, SC, 32°42.5ʹN, 

79°51.6ʹW, 8–17 m, coll. MRRI staff, August 1978. 

SERTC #S33, Georgetown ODMDS, SC, 33°12.17ʹN, 

79°7.05ʹW, 9 m, coll. MRRI staff, 13 July 1983. SERTC 

#S36, Georgetown ODMDS, SC, 33°11.92ʹN, 79°6.17ʹW, 

9 m, coll. MRRI staff, 13 July 1983. SERTC #S39, off 

Folly Beach, SC, 32°30.0ʹN, 79°41.9ʹW, 18 m, coll. MRRI 

staff, 17 January 1980. SERTC #S50, off Sapelo Island, 

GA, 31°23.50ʹN, 80°52.80ʹW, 17 m, coll. MRRI staff, 

27 April 1981. SERTC #S53, off Little Tybee Island, 

GA, 31°41.3ʹN, 80°20.8ʹW, 27 m, coll. MRRI staff, 29 

April 1981. SERTC #S76, Charleston Harbor ODMDS, 

SC, 32°26.9ʹN, 79°43.5ʹW, 14.6 m, coll. MRRI staff, 23 

September 2002. SERTC #S82, south of Bird Key, Folly 

River, SC, 32°37.54ʹN, 79°58.34ʹW, 3.0 m, coll. D.M. 

Knott, 12 September 2003. SERTC #S725, near 2WB 

“sea buoy” off south jetty at entrance to Winyah Bay, 

SC, 33°11.69ʹN, 79°05.08ʹW, 12 m, coll. D.M. Allen, 12 

August 2003.

Known distribution. U.S. Atlantic coast, off Albemarle 

Sound, North Carolina (Wigley and Burns, 1971); Gulf 

of Mexico, northwestern Florida (Hopkins, 1966) to 

Texas (Price, 1982); Caribbean coast of Colombia (Brattegard, 1973, 1974a); Brazil (Tattersall, 1923; Costa, 

1964; B

acescu, 1968c; Almeida Prado, 1974).

Other regional records. Clarke, 1956; Day et al., 1971; 

Williams, 1972; Van Dolah et al., 1984; MRRI2,3,4; Dubick6

; Jutte et al.7,12,13,14; Van Dolah and Knott16.

Remarks. Based on this and previous studies, Promysis 

atlantica appears to be widely distributed in the temperate and warm waters of the western Atlantic and is a 

common resident in the shelf waters of the SAB.

 Tribe Mysini Hansen, 1910

Neomysis americana (Smith, 1873)

(Fig. 26)

Mysis americana Smith, 1873: 552.

Mysis americanus.—Benedict, 1885: 176.

Neomysis americana.—Sumner et al., 1913: 663.—

Williams et al., 1974: 838, Figs. 4–5.

Material examined. SERTC #S8, Murrells Inlet, SC, 

33°31.8ʹN, 79°1.8ʹW, coll. MRRI staff, 10 May 1978. 

SERTC #S24, Charleston ODA, SC, 32°42.5ʹN, 79°51.6ʹW, 

8–17 m, coll. MRRI staff, August 1978. SERTC #S30, 

Georgetown ODMDS, SC, 33°12.17ʹN, 79°7.05ʹW, 10 m, 

coll. MRRI staff, 16 February 1983. SERTC #S58, Wando 

River, SC, 32°52ʹN, 79°51ʹW, 1.7 m, coll. MRRI staff, 

6 March 1986. SERTC #S69, Combahee River above 

Highway 17 bridge, SC, 32°40.56ʹN, 80°46.32ʹW, 4.8–5.5 

m, coll. D.M. Knott, 16 July 2002. SERTC #S81, south 

of Bird Key, Folly River, SC, 32°37.54ʹN, 79°58.34ʹW, 

3.0 m, coll. D.M. Knott, 12 September 2003. SERTC 

#S724, off North Island Lighthouse, inside entrance 

to Winyah Bay, SC, 33°12.54ʹN, 79°11.01ʹW, 8 m, coll. 

D.M. Allen, 12 August 2003. GML 76-54, off Leadenwah 

Creek, North Edisto River, SC, 32°37.1ʹN, 80°13.9ʹW, 2.5 

m, coll. N.A. Chamberlain, 13 May 1976. GML 76-105, 

North Edisto River, SC, 32°36.68ʹN, 80°14.26ʹW, coll. 

C.K. Biernbaum, 26 May 1976. GML 76-109, Leadenwah 

Point, North Edisto River, SC, 32°36.63ʹN, 80°13.80ʹW, 

coll. C.K. Biernbaum, 26 May 1976. SERTC #S1236, 

between Wyley’s dock and groins, Tybee Island, GA, 

31°59.30ʹN, 80°51.40ʹW, 0.5–1.0 m, coll. R.W. Heard, 

5 October 1991. SERTC #S1242, North Inlet, SC, 

33°19.50ʹN, 79°9.80ʹW, intertidal, coll. D.M. Allen, 20 

September 1979. SERTC #S1247, Clambank Creek, 

North Inlet, SC, 33°20.08ʹN, 79°11.33ʹW, 10.2 m, coll. 

D.M. Allen, 2 November 1979.

Known distribution. North American Atlantic coast, 

Gulf of St. Lawrence to off St. Augustine, Florida (Williams et al., 1974); Argentina (Hoffmeyer, 1990).

Other regional records. Pearse et al., 1942; Sikora et al., 

1972; Williams, 1972; Stickney et al., 1974; Williams et 

al., 1974; Heard, 1975; Howard and Frey, 1975; Mayou 

and Howard, 1975; Shealy et al., 1975; Stickney et al., 

1975; Kelly, 1978; Van Dolah et al., 1979; Fulton, 1982a, 

b; Van Dolah et al., 1983; DeLancey, 1984; Van Dolah 

et al., 1984; Van Fox and Ruppert, 1985; Zagursky and 

Feller, 1985; Knott, pers. observ.; Dubick6

; Knott et al.8; 

Zimmerman11; Van Dolah et al.17; Van Dolah et al.18; Van 

Dolah et al.20; Van Dolah et al.21.

20 Van Dolah, R. F., P. H. Wendt and M. V. Levisen. 1988. A study of 

shrimp trawling effects on bottom communities in South Carolina 

sounds. Final Report. Marine Resources Research Institute, South 

Carolina Wildlife and Marine Resources Department, Charleston, 

SC, 62 p. Marine Resources Research Institute, South Carolina 

Department of Natural Resources, P.O. Box 12559, Charleston SC 

29422

21 Van Dolah, R. F., P. H. Wendt, and E. L. Wenner. 1990. A physical and ecological characterization of the Charleston Harbor estuarine system. Final Report to South Carolina Coastal Council, 

Charleston, SC, Grant #NA87AA-D-CZ068, 634 p. Marine Resources Research Institute, South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, P.O. Box 12559, Charleston, SC 29422.
33

Remarks. This ecologically important species represents 

one of the most, if not the most, common species occurring in the inshore waters of the SAB and the Atlantic 

coast, in general. In the northwestern Atlantic its range 

extends nearly the entire length of the North American 

coast from boreal Canadian waters to as far south as St. 

Augustine, Florida (Williams et al., 1974). Within the 

coastal waters of the SAB, this relatively large species appears to be important in the diets of numerous juvenile 

and adult estuarine fishes, especially bothid flounder 

and juvenile sciaenids (Stickney et al., 1974; Sikora and 

Heard, pers. observ.). A larval digenean parasite (metacercaria), possibly belonging to the family Hemiuridae, 

was observed in abdominal muscles of specimens from 

the waters around Sapelo Island, Georgia (Heard, pers. 

observ.)

 Tribe Heteromysini Hansen, 1910

Heteromysis beetoni Modlin, 1984

(Fig. 17)

Heteromysis beetoni Modlin, 1984: 283, Figs. 1, 2A–D.

Material examined. SERTC #S52, off Little Tybee Island, 

GA, 31°41.3ʹN, 80°20.8ʹW, 27 m, coll. MRRI staff, 29 

April 1981. SERTC #S55, off Little Tybee Island, GA, 

31°41.3ʹN, 80°21.1ʹW, 27 m, coll. MRRI staff, 24 October 

1981.

Known distribution. Northeastern Gulf of Mexico (Modlin, 1984), Georgia (this report).

Other regional records. None.

Remarks. This species, which is reported for only 

the second time, was originally collected from the 

Florida Middle Ground, the northernmost hermatypic coral reef in the Gulf of Mexico. Divers there 

collected specimens from three species of sponges 

(Agelas dispar, Ircinia campana, and Haliclona sp.) and 

the scleractinian coral Madracis decactis (Modlin, 

1984). The South Atlantic Bight specimens were reported as “Mysidae A” (MRRI3

) from epibenthic sled 

and rock dredge collections at a station off Georgia, 

where they co-occurred with five other species of 

mysids (Amathimysis brattegardi, Anchialina typica, 

Bowmaniella mexicana, Mysidopsis furca, and Promysis 

atlantica). A diverse sponge fauna characterized benthic communities at this location, including Ircinia 

campana and an undetermined species of Haliclona

(MRRI3).

Heteromysis formosa Smith, 1873

(Fig. 16)

Heteromysis formosa Smith, 1873: 553.—Tattersall, 

1951: 235, Figs. 100–101.—Brattegard, 1969: 92, Fig. 

29.—Stuck et al., 1979a: 237, Figs. 2o, 3o, 4o, 5p.—Stuck 

et al., 1979b: 246.

Material examined. SERTC #S54, off Folly Beach, SC, 

32°29.6ʹN, 79°42.5ʹW, 17 m, coll. MRRI staff, 23 October 

1981. GML 76-54, off Leadenwah Creek, North Edisto 

River, SC, 32°37.1ʹN, 80°13.9ʹW, 2–3 m, coll. N.A. Chamberlain, 13 May 1976.

Known distribution. U.S. Atlantic coast, Maine to off Ft. 

Pierce, Florida (Wigley and Burns, 1971; Howard and 

Frey, 1975; Camp et al., 1977); northeastern Gulf of 

Mexico (Tattersall, 1951; Stuck et al., 1979b).

Other regional records. Tattersall, 1951; Sikora et al., 

1972; Williams, 1972; Wenner et al., 1984; Fox and Ruppert, 1985; Prezant et al., 2002; Heard, pers. observ.; 

MRRI 2,3; Van Dolah et al.9.

Remarks. This species, which has been previously 

reported from the SAB by Williams (1972), is widely 

distributed along the east coast of the United States. 

The records from the northeastern Gulf of Mexico 

(Tattersall, 1951; Stuck et al., 1979a, b) need confirmation, by comparison of those specimens and additional 

material from that region with specimens from the U.S. 

Atlantic coast.

Although Heteromysis formosa has been collected in 

depths greater than 200 m (Tattersall, 1951), it is more 

common in estuaries and shallow continental shelf 

areas. During the day, it is often found over coarse substrata inside empty bivalve and gastropod shells or in 

cavities under rocks (Allen, 1982).

This species has been confused with Heteromysis norvegica, which was described by Sars (1883). Lagardère 

and Nouvel (1980) separated the two species based on 

differences in the morphology of the antennal scale, 

thoracic endopod 3, and telson. While the distribution 

of H. formosa is restricted to the western north Atlantic, 

H. norvegica is found in the eastern north Atlantic from 

Norway to Morocco (Lagardère and Nouvel, 1980).

General remarks

Compared to other coastal regions of the eastern United States, the mysid fauna of the SAB, which generally 

encompasses the Carolinian Province, is most similar 

to that of the northern Gulf of Mexico (see Stuck et 

al., 1979a, b; Price, 1982) and the immediately adjacent waters of the northeastern U.S. coast (Virginian 

Province). In the coastal areas of south Florida, where 

a variety of tropical habitats exist (i.e., hard bottoms, 

coral reefs, sponge and soft corals bottoms, mangroves), 
34

the diversity of mysids, as expected, is much greater. 

Over 30 species are currently known from the south 

Florida region (Farrell, 1979; Price, pers. observ.). The 

low diversity of mysids in the SAB may be, in part, an 

artifact of sampling. More specifically, there have not 

been many collections from mid-shelf and hard bottom 

habitats within the SAB. These habitats may harbor 

cryptic species like members of the commensal genera 

Heteromysis and Amathimysis. Further studies in such 

live bottom (rocky outcropping) areas of the SAB are 

needed, especially using divers to collect samples with 

mysid specimens sufficient for taxonomic work.

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank the following people 

and organizations for the opportunity to examine material: Janice Clarke and staff of the Invertebrate Zoology 

Section, National Museum of Natural History, Washington, D. C.; Jeff Hyland and J. D. Dubick of the National 

Benthic Inventory Laboratory at NOAA’s Center for 

Coastal Environmental Health and Biomolecular Research in Charleston, SC; Dr. William Kirby-Smith, Duke 

University Marine Laboratory, Beaufort, NC; Barry A. 

Vittor (B. A. Vittor and Associates) in Mobile, AL. We 

are also grateful to SERTC staff members Susan DeVictor, Nadia Meyers, and Joseph Cowan, who assisted with 

the organization of references and material, as well as 

cataloging the SERTC specimens. This document is

Contribution No. 565 of the Marine Resources Division, 

South Carolina Department of Natural Resources.

Literature cited

Abele, L. G., and T. Spears. 

1997. Issues and answers in the phylogeny of the Crustacea. Program and Abstracts, The Crustacean Society 1997 Summer 

Meeting, Mobile, Alabama: 13.

Allen, D. M. 

1982. Autecology of the cryptic mysid crustacean, Heteromysis formosa S.I. Smith 1873, in a temperate estuary. Hydrobiologia 

93:1–7.

Almeida Prado, M. S. de. 

1973. Distribution of Mysidacea (Crustacea) in the Cananéia region. Bol. Zool. Biol. Mar. 30:395–417.

1974. Sistemática dos Mysidacea (Crustacea) na região de Cananéia. Bol. Climatol. Inst. Oceanogr., Univ. Sao Paulo 23:47–87.

B

acescu, M. 

1968a. Afromysis guinensis n. sp. and Brasilomysis castroi n. g. n. 

sp. from the waters of the tropical Atlantic. Rev. Roum Biol. 

Zool. 13:75–86.

1968b. Contributions to the knowledge of the Gastrosaccinae 

psammobionte of the tropical America, with the description 

of a new genus (Bowmaniella, n.g.) and three new species of its 

frame. Trav. Mus. Hist. Nat. “Grigore Antipa” 8:355–373.

1968c. Étude des quelques Leptomysini (Crustacea Mysidacea) 

des eaux du Brésil et de Cuba; Description d ́un genre et de 

cinq autres taxons nouveaux. Ann. Mus. Stor. Nat. Genova 

77:232–249.

1969. Contribution à la connaissance du genre Metamysidopsis W. 

Tattersall 1951 - M. swifti n. sp. - M. mexicana n.n., confondues 

avec M. munda Zimmer. Rev. Roum. Biol. Zool. 14:49–357.

B

acescu, M., and M. Ortiz. 

1984. Contribution to the knowledge of the Mysidacea (Crustacea) of the Cuban insular shelf waters. Trav. Mus. Hist. Nat. 

“Grigore Antipa” 26:15–23.

Benedict, J. E. 

1885. Report of the naturalist, Mr. James E. Benedict. In Report 

on the work of the U.S. Fish Commission steamer Albatross for 

the year ending December 31, 1883. Part XI. Report of the 

Commissioner for 1883 (Z. L. Tanner, commanding), p. 175–

177. U.S. Comm. Fish Fisheries, GPO, Washington, D.C.

Bowman, T. E. 

1957. A new species of Mysidopsis (Crustacea: Mysidacea) from 

the southeastern coast of the United States. Proc. U.S. Natl. 

Mus. 107:1–7.

1964. Mysidopsis almyra, a new estuarine mysid crustacean from 

Louisiana and Florida. Tulane Stud. Zool. Bot. 12:15–18.

1986. Mysidacea, In Stygofauna Mundi (L. Botosaneanu, ed.), 

p. 405–409. E. J. Brill, Netherlands.

Brattegard, T. 

1969. Marine biological investigations in the Bahamas. 10. Mysidacea from shallow water in the Bahamas and southern Florida. Part 1. Sarsia 39:17–106.

1970. Marine biological investigations in the Bahamas. 11. Mysidacea from shallow water in the Bahamas and southern Florida. Part 2. Sarsia 41:1–35.

1973. Mysidacea from shallow water on the Caribbean coast of 

Colombia. Sarsia 54:1–65. 

1974a. Mysidacea from shallow water on the Caribbean coast of 

Panama. Sarsia 57:87–108.

1974b. Additional Mysidacea from shallow water on the Caribbean coast of Colombia. Sarsia 57:47–86.

1975. Shallow-water Mysidacea from the Lesser Antilles and 

other Caribbean regions. Stud. Fauna Curaçao Caribb. Isl. 

47:102–115.

Bravo, M. R., and M. Murano. 

1996. Description of Neobathymysis japonica, a new genus and species, and revision of the genus Bathymysis with a new species 

from Japan (Crustacea: Mysidacea: Mysidae). Proc. Biol. Soc. 

Wash. 109:501–511.

Brusca, R. C., and G. J. Brusca. 

2003. Invertebrates. Second edition. Sinauer Associates, Inc., 

Sunderland, MA, 936 p.

Camp, D. K., N. H. Whiting, and R. E. Martin. 

1977. Nearshore marine ecology at Hutchinson Island, Florida: 

1971–1974. V. Arthropods. Fla. Mar. Res. Publ. 25, 63 p.

Clarke, W. D. 

1955. A new species of the genus Heteromysis (Crustacea, Mysidacea) from the Bahama Islands, commensal with a sea-anemone. Am. Mus. Novit. 1716:1–13.

1956. A further description of Promysis atlantica Tattersall (Crustacea, Mysidacea). Am. Mus. Novit. 1755:1–5.

Coifmann, I. 

1937. Misidacei raccolti dalla R. corvetta Vettor Pisani negli anni 

1882–85. Ann. Mus. Zool. Univ. Napoli (n.s.) 7:1–14.

Costa, R. H. da. 

1964. Notas sôbre os Mysidacea da Costa Brasileira. Bol. Mus. 

Nac., Zool. (Rio de Janeiro) 247:1–9.

Czerniavsky, V. 

1882. Monographia mysidarum imprimis imperii Rossici. Fasc. 

II. Trudy Sankt-Peterburgskago Obschestva Estestvoispytatelei 

13:1–85.
35

Dana, J. D. 

1850. Synopsis generum crustaceorum ordinis “Schizopoda”. 

Am. J. Sci. Arts 9:129–133.

1852. Tribe II. Mysidea. In Crustacea. United States Exploring 

Expedition. During the Years 1838, 1839, 1840, 1841, 1842, 

Under the Command of Charles Wilkes, U.S.N. Vol. XIII, Part 

I (J. D. Dana, ed.), p. 635–685. C. Sherman, Philadelphia (reprinted 1972 by Antiquariaat Junk, Netherlands). 

Darnell, R. M. 

1958. Food habits of fishes and larger of Lake Pontchartrain, 

Louisiana, an estuarine community. Pub. Inst. Mar. Sci. Univ. 

Texas 5:353–416.

1961. Trophic spectrum of an estuarine community, based on 

studies of Lake Pontchartrain, Louisiana. Ecology (USA) 

42:553–568.

Day, H. J., J. G. Field, and M. P. Montgomery. 

1971. The use of numerical methods to determine the distribution of the benthic fauna across the continental shelf of North 

Carolina. J. Anim. Ecol. 40:93–125.

DeLancey, L. B. 

1984. An ecological study of the surf zone at Folly Beach, South 

Carolina. Masters thesis, College of Charleston, Charleston, 

SC. 131 p.

1987. The summer zooplankton of the surf zone at Folly Beach, 

South Carolina. J. Coast. Res. 3:211–217.

Dörjes, J. 

1972. Georgia coastal region, Sapelo Island, U.S.A.: Sedimentology and biology. VII. Distribution and zonation of macrobenthic animals. Senckenb. Marit. 4:183–216.

Escobar-Briones, E., and L. A. Soto. 

1988. Mysidacea from Términos Lagoon, southern Gulf of Mexico, and description of a new species of Taphromysis. J. Crust. 

Biol. 8:639–655.

Farrell, D. H. 

1979. Guide to shallow-water mysids from Florida. Fla. Dept. Environ. Reg. Tech. Ser. 4(1), 71 p.

Fox, R. S., and E. E. Ruppert. 

1985. Shallow-water marine benthic macroinvertebrates of 

South Carolina. University of South Carolina Press, Columbia. 

330 p.

Frankenberg, D., and A. S. Leiper. 

1977. Seasonal cycles in benthic communities of the Georgia 

continental shelf. In Ecology of Marine Benthos (B. C. Coull, 

ed.), p. 383–397. University of South Carolina Press, Columbia.

Fulton, R.S., III. 

1982a. Predatory feeding of two marine mysids. Mar. Biol. 

72:183–191.

1982b. Preliminary results of an experimental study of the effects of mysid predation on estuarine zooplankton community 

structure. Hydrobiologia 93:79–84.

Grabe, S. A. 

1981. Occurrence of Mysidopsis almyra Bowman, 1964, (Mysidacea) in the Patapsco River Estuary (Upper Chesapeake Bay), 

Maryalnd, U.S.A. Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash. 94:863–865.

Hansen, H. J. 

1910. The Schizopoda of the Siboga Expedition. In Uitkomsten 

op zoologisch, botanisch, oceanographischen en geologisch 

gebied verzameld in Nederlandsch Oost Indi‘ 1899–1900 aan 

boord H.M. Siboga (M. Weber, ed.), E.J. Brill, Leiden,. Monograph 37:1–123.

Haworth, A. H. 

1825. A new binary arrangment of the macrous Crustacea. Phil. 

Mag. (London) 65:183–184.

Heard, R. W. 

1975. Feeding habits of white catfish from a Georgia estuary. Fla. 

Sci. 38:20–28.

Heard, R. W., and E. J. Heard. 

1971. Invertebrates fauna of the North and South Newport Rivers and adjacent waters. In An ecological survey of the North 

and South Newport Rivers and adjacent waters with respect to 

possible effects of treated Kraft Mill effluent (M. D. Dahlberg 

et al., eds.), p. 122–246. University of Georgia Marine Institute, Sapelo Island.

Heard, R. W., and W. W. Price. 

In press. Revision of Bowmaniella of B

acescu, 1968 (Crustacea: 

Mysida: Mysidae: Gastrosaccinae): a taxonomic conundrum. 

Zootaxa.

Hoffmeyer, M. S. 

1990. The occurence of Neomysis americana in two new localities of the South American coast (Mysidacea). Crustaceana 

58:186–192.

Holland, A. F. 

1974. A study of the intertidal macrofaunal communities inhabiting sand and mud bars of the North Inlet area near Georgetown, SC, USA. PhD. dissertation, Marine Science Program, 

University of South Carolina, 73 p. and appendices.

Holmquist, C. 

1975. A revision of the species Archaeomysis grebnitzkii Czerniavsky 

and A. maculata (Holmes) (Crustacea, Mysidacea). Zool. Jb. 

Syst. 102:51–71.

Hopkins, T. L. 

1965. Mysid shrimp abundance in surface waters of Indian River 

Inlet, Delaware. Chesap. Sci. 6:86–91.

1966. The plankton of the St. Andrew Bay system, Florida. Pub. 

Inst. Mar. Sci. Univ. Texas 11:12–64.

Howard, J. D., and R. W. Frey. 

1975. Estuaries of the Georgia coast, U.S.A.: Sedimentology and 

biology. I. Introduction. Senckenb. Marit. 7:1–31.

Ii, N. 

1964. Mysidae (Crustacea). Fauna Japonica. Biogeographical Society of Japan, Tokyo, Japan, 610 p.

Jarman, S. N., S. Nicol, N. G. Elliott, and A. McMinn. 

2000. 28S rRNA evolution in the Eumalacostraca and the phylogenetic position of krill. Mol. Phylo. Evol. 17:26–36.

Kelly, B. J., Jr. 

1978. Order Mysidacea. In An annotated checklist of the biota 

of the coastal zone of South Carolina (R. G. Zingmark, ed.), 

p. 170. University of South Carolina Press, Columbia.

Knott, D. M., D. R. Calder, and R. F. Van Dolah. 

1983. Macrobenthos of sandy beach and nearshore environments at Murrells Inlet, South Carolina, U.S.A. Est. Coast. 

Shelf Sci. 16:573–590.

Krøyer, H. N. 

1861. Et bidrag til Kundskab om Krebsdyrfamilien Mysidae. 

Naturhist. Tidsskr., Copenhagen, ser. 3, vol. 1:1–75, 2 pls.

Lagardère, J. P., and H. Nouvel. 

1980. Les Mysidacés du talus continental du golfe de Gascogne 

II. Familles des Lophogastridae, Eucopiidae et Mysidae (tribu 

des Erythropini exceptée). Bull. Mus. natn. Hist. nat., Paris, 

2:845–887.

Lussier, S. M., A. Kuhn, M. J. Chammas, and J. Sewall. 

1988. Techniques for the laboratory culture of Mysidopsis species 

(Crustacea: Mysidacea). Environ. Toxicol. Chem. 7:969–977.

Martin, J. W., and G. E. Davis. 

2001. An updated classification of the recent Crustacea. Nat. 

Hist. Mus. Los Angeles County, Science Series no 39, 124 p.

Mauchline, J. 

1980. The biology of mysids and euphausids. Adv. Mar. Biol. 

18:1–681.

Mayou, T. V., and J. D. Howard. 

1975. Estuaries of the Georgia coast, U.S.A.: Sedimentology and 
36

biology. VI. Animal-sediment relationships of a salt marsh estuary – Doboy Sound. Senckenb. Marit. 7:205–236.

McLaughlin, P. A. 

1980. Comparative morphology of recent Crustacea. W. H. Freeman and Company, San Francisco, 177 p. 

Milne-Edwards, H. 

1837. Histoire naturelle des crustacés. Vol. 2, 531 p.

Modlin, R. F. 

1984. Mysidacea from the Florida Middle Ground, northeast 

Gulf of Mexico, with descriptions of three new species of Heteromysis and a key the Heteromysini of the western Atlantic. J. 

Crust. Biol. 4:278–297.

Moffat, A. M., and M. B. Jones. 

1992. Bionomics of Mesopodopsis slabberi and Neomysis integer

(Crustacea: Mysidacea) in the Tamar Estuary. In Taxonomy, 

Biology and Ecology of (Baltic) Mysids (Mysidacea: Crustacea) 

(V. J. Köhn, M. B. Jones, and A. M. Moffat, eds.), p. 109–119. 

Rostock University Press, Rostock. 

Molenock, J. 

1969. Mysidopsis bahia, a new species of mysid (Crustacea: Mysidacea) from Galveston Bay, Texas. Tulane Stud. Zool. Bot.

15:113–116.

Murano, M. 

1986. Three new species of Mysidacea from Saint Croix, Virgin 

Islands. Crustaceana 50:133–145.

Norman, A. M. 

1892. On British Mysidae, a family of Crustacea Schizopoda. 

Ann. Magazine Nat. Hist., Ser. 6, 10:143–166.

Norman, A. M., and T. Scott. 

1906. Mysidacea. In The Crustacea of Devon and Cornwall, p. 

23–28. London, William Wesley and Son.

Nouvel, H. 

1943. Mysicacés provenant des Campagne du Prince Albert 1er 

de Monaco. Res. Camp. Sci. Albert 1er Monaco 105:1–128.

1971. Mysidacés récoltés par S. Frontier a Nosy-Bé VI. Anchialina 

typica (Krøyer) avec distinction de deux souþ-espéces, et Anchialina latifrons n.sp. Bull. Soc. Hist. Nat. Toulouse 107:325–

338.

Odenkirchen, E. W., and R. Eisler. 

1988. Chlorpyrifos hazards to fish, wildlife, and invertebrates: a 

synoptic review. U.S. Fish. Wildl. Serv. Biol. Rep. No. 85 (1.13). 

34 p.

Ortiz, M. 

1988. Una nueva especie de misidáceo del género Bowmaniella

(Crustacea: Mysidacea), de aguas Cubanas. Rev. Invest. Mar. 

9:3–7.

Pearse, A. S., H. J. Humm, and G. W. Wharton. 

1942. Ecology of sand beaches at Beaufort, NC. Ecol. Monogr. 

12:137–190.

Pillai, N. K. 

1964. Report on the Mysidacea in the collections of the Central 

Marine Fisheries Research Institute, Mandapam Camp, south 

India - Part I. J. Mar. Biol. Ass. India 6:1–41.

1965. A review of the work on shallow water Mysidacea of the 

Indian waters. Proc. Symp. Crust. 5:1681–1728.

Prezant, R. S., R. B. Toll, H. B. Rollins, and E. J. Chapman. 

2002. Marine macroinvertebrate diversity of St. Catherines Island, Georgia. Am. Mus. Novit. 3367:1–31.

Price, W. W. 

1975. A new locality record for Metamysodopsis swift B

acescu, 1969 

(Crustacea: Mysidacea) from the east coast of Mexico. SW Nat. 

20:138.

1978. Occurrence of Mysidopsis almyra Bowman, M. bahia Molenock and Bowmaniella brasiliensis Bacescu (Crustacea, Mysidacea) from the eastern coast of Mexico. Gulf Res. Repts. 

6:173–175.

1982. A key to the shallow water Mysidacea of the Texas coast 

with notes on their ecology. Hydrobiologia 93:9–21.

Price, W. W., and R. W. Heard. 

2004. Studies on the Crustacea of the Turks and Caicos Islands, 

British West Indies. V. Records of mysids at Pine Cay, Ft. 

George Cay, Water Cay, and adjacent waters. Gulf and Caribb. 

Res. 16:147–159.

Price, W. W., and D. S. Vodopich. 

1979. Occurrence of Mysidopsis almyra (Mysidacea, Mysidae) on 

the east coast of Florida, U.S.A. Crustaceana 36:194–196.

Price, W. W., R. W. Heard, and L. Stuck. 

1994. Observations on the genus Mysidopsis Sars, 1864 with the 

designation of a new genus, Americamysis, and the descriptions 

of Americamysis alleni and A. stucki (Peracarida: Mysidacea: 

Mysidae), from the Gulf of Mexico. Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash. 

107:680–698.

Price, W. W., A. P. McAllister, R. M. Towsley, and M. DelRe. 

1986. Mysidacea from continental shelf waters of the northwestern Gulf of Mexico. Contrib. Mar. Sci. 29:45–58.

Price, W. W., R. W Heard, J. T. Harris, and C. M. R. McCoy. 

2002. Crustacea of the Cayman Islands, British West Indies. I. 

Records of mysids from shallow water non-reef habitats. Gulf 

and Caribb. Res. 14:35–52.

Richter S., and G. Scholtz. 

2001. Phylogenetic analysis of the Malacostraca (Crustacea). J. 

Zool. Syst. Evol. Res. 39:113–136.

Roast, S. D., R. S. Thompson, J. Widdows, and M. B. Jones. 

1998. Mysids and environmental monitoring: a case for their use 

in estuaries. Mar. Freshw. Res. 49:827–832.

Sars, G. O. 

1864. Beretning om en i Sommeren, 1865 foretagen zoologisk 

Reise i Christianias og Trondjhems Stifter. Nyt Magazin for 

Naturvidenskaberne 13:225–260.

1883. Oversigt af Norges Crustaceer med foreløbige Bemaerkninger over de nye eller mindre bekjendte Arter. I. 

Forhandlinger i Videnskabs-selskabet i Christiania 1882 18:1–

124.

1885. Report on the Schizopoda collected by H.M.S. “Challenger” during the years 1873–1876. Challenger Rep. 13:1–228.

Schram, F. R. 

1986. Crustacea. Oxford University Press, New York, 606 p.

Schultz, G. A., and D. M. Allen. 

1982. Prodajus bigelowiensis, new species (Isopoda: Epicaridea: 

Dajidae) parasite of Mysidopsis bigelowi (Mysidacea) from 

coastal New Jersey, with observations on infestation. J. Crust. 

Biol. 2:296–302.

Shealy, M. H., Jr., B. B. Boothe, Jr., and C. M. Bearden. 

1975. A survey of the benthic macrofauna of Fripp Inlet and 

Hunting Island, South Carolina, prior to beach nourishment. 

South Carolina Marine Resources Center Tech. Rep. 7, 30 p.

Sikora, W. B., R. W. Heard, and M. D. Dahlberg. 

1972. The occurrence and food habits of two species of hake, 

Urophycis regius and U. floridanus in Georgia estuaries. Trans. 

Am. Fish. Soc. 101:513–525.

Silva, V. M. A. P., da. 

1970. Gastrosaccus brasiliensis nova espécie de Crustacea Mysidacea. Atas Soc. Biol. Rio de Janeiro 13:35–36.

1971. Bowmaniella (Bowmaniella) atlantica, nôvo nome para Gastrosaccus brasiliensis (da Silva, 1970) (Crustacea, Mysidacea). 

Atas Soc. Biol. Rio de Janeiro 14:159.

Smith, K. L., Jr. 

1971. Structural and functional aspects of a sublittoral community. Ph.D. Dissertation, University of Georgia. 160 p. and Appendix.

Smith, S. I. 

1873. Report upon the invertebrate animals of Vineyard Sound 
37

and the adjacent waters, with an account of the physical 

characters of the region. Rep. U.S. Comm. Fish Fish. 1871–

1872:295–747.

Spears, T., and L. G. Abele. 

1998. The role of 18S rRNA hypervariable regions in crustacean 

phylogeny. Proceedings and Abstracts of the Fourth International Crustacean Congress, Amsterdam: 92 (abstract 171).

Stickney R. R., G. L. Taylor, and R. W. Heard. 

1974. Food habits of Georgia estuarine fishes. I. Four species of 

flounders (Pleuronectiformes: Bothidae). Fish. Bull. 72:515–

525.

Stickney, R. R., G. L. Taylor, and D. B. White. 

1975. Food habits of five species of young southeastern United 

States estuarine Sciaenidae. Chesapeake Science 16:104–114.

Stuck, K. C., and R. W. Heard. 

1981. Amathimysis brattegardi, a new peracarid (Crustacea: Mysidacea) from continental shelf waters off Tampa Bay, Florida. J. 

Crust. Biol. 1:272–278.

Stuck, K. C., H. M. Perry, and R. W. Heard. 

1979a. An annotated key to the Mysidacea of the north central 

Gulf of Mexico. Gulf Res. Rep. 6:225–238.

1979b. Records and range extensions of Mysidacea from coastal 

and shelf waters of the eastern Gulf of Mexico. Gulf Res. Rep.

6:239–248.

Sumner, F. B., R. C. Osburn, and L. J. Cole. 

1913. A biological survey of the waters of Woods Hole. Bull. U.S. 

Bur. Fish. 31:549–794.

Tattersall, O. S. 

1955. Mysidacea. In Discovery Reports. Cambridge, University 

Press 28:1–190.

Tattersall, W. M. 

1923. Crustacea. Pt. VII. Mysidacea. In British Antarctic (“Terra 

Nova” Expedition, 1910, Natural history reports, London. 

Brit. Mus. (Nat. Hist.), Zool. 3:273–304.

1926. Crustaceans of the orders Euphausiacea and Mysidacea 

from the western Atlantic. Proc. U.S. Natl. Mus. 69:1–28.

1937. New species of mysidacid crustaceans. Smithsonian Misc, 

Coll. 91:1–18.

1951. A review of the Mysidacea of the United States National 

Museum. Smithsonian Institution, U.S. Nat. Mus. Bull. 201, 

292 p.

Van Dolah, R. F., D. R. Calder, D. M. Knott, and M. S. Maclin. 

1979. Effects of dredging and unconfined disposal of dredged 

material on macrobenthic communities in Sewee Bay, South 

Carolina. South Carolina Marine Resources Center Tech. Rep. 

39, 54 p.

Van Dolah, R.F., D. R. Calder, and D. M. Knott. 

1983. Assessment of benthic macrofauna in an ocean disposal 

area near Charleston, South Carolina. South Carolina Marine 

Resources Center Tech. Rep. 56, 97 p.

Van Dolah, R.F., D. M. Knott, E. L. Wenner, T. D. Mathews, and M. 

P. Katuna. 

1984. Benthic and sedimentological studies of the Georgetown 

ocean dredged material disposal site. South Carolina Marine 

Resources Center Tech. Rep. 59, 97 p.

Vannini, M., G. Innocenti, and R. K. Ruwa. 

1993. Family group structure in mysids, commensals of hermit 

crabs (Crustacea). Trop. Zool. 6:189–205.

Watling, L. 

1999. Toward understanding the relationships of the peracaridan orders: the necessity of determining exact homologies. 

In Crustaceans and the biodiversity crises. Proceedings of the 

Fourth International Crustacean Congress Brill. Leiden (F. R. 

Schram and J. C von Vaupel Klein, eds.), p. 73–89.

Wenner. E. L., P. Hinde, D. M. Knott, and R. F. Van Dolah. 

1984. A temporal and spatial study of invertebrate communities 

associated with hard-bottom habitats in the South Atlantic 

Bight. NOAA Tech. Rep. NMFS 18, 104 p.

Wigley, R. L., and B. R. Burns. 

1971. Distribution and biology of mysids (Crustacea, Mysidacea) from the Atlantic coast of the United States in the NMFS 

Woods Hole collection. Fish. Bull. 69:717–746.

Williams, A. B. 

1972. A ten-year study of meroplankton in North Carolina Estuaries: mysid shrimps. Chesap. Sci. 13:254–262.

Williams, A. B., T. E. Bowman, and D. M. Damkaer. 

1974. Distribution, variation, and supplemental description of 

the opossum shrimp, Neomysis americana (Crustacea: Mysidacea). Fish. Bull. 72:835–842.

Zagursky, G., and R. J. Feller. 

1985. Macrophyte detritus in the winter diet of the estuarine mysid, Neomysis americana. Estuaries 8:355–362.

Zimmer, C. 

1918. Neue und wenig bekannte Mysidaceen des Berliner Zoologischen Museums. Mitt. Zool. Mus. Berl. 9:15–26.

Appendix

Figure sources

The illustrations used in this document were obtained 

from a variety of sources and include published figures 

and original drawings. In most cases, the illustrations 

have been modified from the original to better illustrate 

the character being described. The sources for all illustrations are cited in the figure captions and in full in the 

literature cited section. Permission has been obtained 

for the use of illustrations taken from copyrighted 

sources, and those are credited as follows:

Illustrations from the Journal of Crustacean Biology

(citations: Modlin, 1984; Stuck and Heard, 1981) are 

reproduced with permission of the editor.

Illustrations from Crustaceana (citation: Murano, 

1986) are reproduced with permission of the publishers 

(Brill Academic).

Illustrations from Gulf and Caribbean Research (citation: 

Stuck et al., 1979a [formerly Gulf Research Report]) are 

reproduced with permission of the editor.

Illustrations from Travaux du Museum Nationale 

d’Histoire “Grigore Antipa” (citation: B

acescu, 1968b) are 

reproduced with permission of the Editorial Board.
NOAA Professional Papers NMFS

Guide for Contributors

Manuscript Preparation

Title page should include authors’ full 

names and mailing addresses and the 

senior author’s telephone and FAX 

number. 

Abstract should not exceed one doublespaced typed page. It should state the main 

scope of the research but emphasize its 

conclusions and relevant findings. Because 

abstracts are circulated by abstracting 

agencies, it is important that they represent 

the research clearly and concisely. 

Text must be typed double-spaced 

throughout. A brief introduction 

should portray the broad significance of 

the paper; the remainder of the paper 

should be divided into the following 

sections: Materials and methods, Results, Discussion (or Conclusions), and 

Acknowledgments. Headings within 

each section must be short, reflect a 

logical sequence, and follow the rules 

of multiple subdivision (i.e. there can 

be no subdivision without at least two 

items). The entire text should be intelligible to interdisciplinary readers; 

therefore, all acronyms, abbreviations, 

and technical terms should be spelled 

out the first time they are mentioned. 

The scientific names of species must 

be written out the first time they are 

mentioned; subsequent mention of 

scientific names may be abbreviated. 

Follow the U.S. Government Printing 

Office Style Manual (1984 ed.) and the 

CBE Style Manual (5th ed.) for editorial style, and the most current issue of 

the American Fisheries Society’s Common and Scientific Names of Fishes 

from the United States and Canada 

for fish nomenclature. Dates should be 

written as follows: 11 November 1991. 

Measurements should be expressed in 

metric units, e.g., metric tons as (t); if 

other units of measurement are used, 

please make this fact explicit to the 

reader. The numeral one (1) should 

be typed as a one, not as a lower-case 

el (l). 

Text footnotes should be numbered with 

Arabic numerals and typed on a separate 

sheet of paper. Footnote all personal 

communications, unpublished data, and 

unpublished manuscripts with full address of the communicator or author, or, 

as in the case of unpublished data, where 

the data are on file. Authors are advised 

to avoid references to nonstandard 

(gray) literature, such as internal, project, processed, or administrative reports, 

wherever possible. Where these references are used, please include whether 

they are available from NTIS (National 

Technical Information Service) or from 

some other public depository. 

Literature cited comprises published 

works and those accepted for publication 

in peer-reviewed literature (in press). 

Follow the name and year system for 

citation format. In the text, cite Smith 

and Jones (1977) or (Smith and Jones, 

1977). If there is a sequence of citations, 

list chronologically: Smith, 1932; Green, 

1947; Smith and Jones, 1985. Abbreviations of serials should conform to 

abbreviations given in Serial Sources for 

the BIOSIS Previews Database. Authors 

are responsible for the accuracy and 

completeness of all citations. 

Tables should not be excessive in size 

and must be cited in numerical order 

in the text. Headings should be short 

but ample enough to allow the table to 

be intelligible on its own. All unusual 

symbols must be explained in the table 

heading. Other incidental comments 

may be footnoted with italic numerals. 

Use asterisks for probability in statistical data. Because tables are typeset, 

they need only be submitted typed and 

formatted, with double-spaced legends. 

Zeros should precede all decimal points 

for values less than one. 

Figures include line illustrations and photographs (or slides) and must be cited in 

numerical order in the text. Unless photographs are submitted on glossy paper 

with good contrast, we cannot guarantee 

a good final printed copy. Figures are to 

be labeled with author’s name and number of figure. Use Times Roman font (upper and lowercase letters) to label within 

figures. Avoid vertical lettering except 

for y-axis labels. Zeros should precede all 

decimal points for values less than one. 

Figures may be submitted as computer 

software files (along with laser-printed 

copies), as photo-mechanical transfers 

(PMTs), or as high quality photographic 

prints. Send only xerox copies of figures 

to the Scientific Editor; original figures 

will be requested later when the manuscript has been accepted for publication. 

Figure legends should explain all symbols 

and abbreviations and should be doublespaced on a separate page at the end of 

the manuscript. 

Copyright law does not cover government publications; they fall within the 

public domain. If an author reproduces 

any part of a government publication in 

his work, reference to source is considered correct form. 

Submission

Send printed copies (original and 

three copies) to the Scientific Editor: 

Dr. Adam Moles

Scientific Editor, Prof. Papers

NOAA/NMFS/AFSC 

11305 Glacier Hwy. 

Juneau, AK 99801-8626

Once the manuscript has been accepted for publication, you will be 

asked to submit an electronic file of 

it. The file should be submitted in 

WordPerfect or Word format and be 

compatible with either Windows or 

Macintosh systems. 

Copies of published articles and 

notes are available free of charge to 

the senior author (50 copies) and 

to his or her laboratory (50 copies). 

Additional copies may be purchased 

in lots of 100 when the author receives 

page proofs. 
UNITED STATES

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC 

ADMINISTRATION

NATIONAL MARINE FISHERIES SERVICE

7600 SAND POINT WAY NE

SEATTLE, WA 98115

OFFICIAL BUSINESS

Penalty for Private Use, $300

PRSRT STD

POSTAGE & FEES PAID

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

PERMIT NO. G-19

NOAA SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNICAL PUBLICATIONS

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration was established as part of the Department 

of Commerce on October 13, 1970. The mission responsibilities of NOAA are to assess the 

socioeconomic impact of natural and technological changes in the environment and to monitor 

and predict the state of the solid Earth, the oceans and their living resources, the atmosphere, and 

the space environment of the Earth.

The major components of NOAA regularly produce various types of scientific and technical 

information in the following kinds of publications:

PROFESSIONAL PAPERS: Important definitive research results, major 

techniques, and special investigations.

CONTRACT AND GRANT REPORTS: Reports prepared by contractors or 

grantees under NOAA sponsorship.

ATLAS: Presentation of analyzed data generally in the form of maps showing 

distribution of rainfall, chemical and physical conditions of oceans and 

atmosphere, distribution of fishes and marine mammals, ionospheric 

conditions, etc.

TECHNICAL SERVICE PUBLICATIONS: Reports containing data, observations, 

instructions, etc. A partial listing includes data serials; predictions and outlook 

periodicals; technical manuals, training papers, planning reports, and 

information serials; and miscellaneous technical publications.

TECHNICAL REPORTS: Journal quality with extensive details, mathematical 

development, or data listings.

TECHNICAL MEMORANDUMS: Reports of preliminary, partial, or negative 

research or technology results, interim instructions, and the like.

Iinformation on availablity of NOAA publications can be obtained from:

U.S. Department of Commerce

National Technical Information Service

5285 Port Royal Road

Springfield, VA 22161

www.ntis.gov