Stenopodidae Claus, 1872

Wicksten, Mary K., 2012, Decapod Crustacea of the Californian and Oregonian Zoogeographic Provinces 3371, Zootaxa 3371, pp. 1-307 : 32-34

Family Stenopodidae Claus, 1872

The family includes the brightly colored coral shrimps ( Stenopus ) of tropical coral reefs. Only one member of the family has been found along the west coast of the United States. Related species occur in the eastern Pacific from the southern Gulf of California to the Galapagos Is.

Pereopod 3 is unusually large and heavily chelate in stenopodids. Individuals can be mistaken for small lobsters at first glance. The body often has rows of spines. The rostrum is toothed. Stenopodids often live in pairs, with a male and female occupying the same host sponge or shelter.