Lysmatidae Dana, 1852

Wicksten, Mary K., 2012, Decapod Crustacea of the Californian and Oregonian Zoogeographic Provinces 3371, Zootaxa 3371, pp. 1-307 : 71

Family Lysmatidae Dana, 1852

Species of the Lysmatidae are recognizable by their long antennular flagella and having 17 or more carpal articles in the second pereopods. A molecular study of species of Lysmat a and related genera by Baeza (2010) supports their designation as a family distinct from the Hippolytidae , as suggested by Christoffersen (1988a). Only one species, Lysmata californica , is found in the area of coverage.

Species are usually temperate or tropical in distribution, and live among rocks or corals. They are active at night. Many are colored red or red with white stripes. Many are hermaphrodites.

Some lysmatids are cleaners and remove debris, dead tissue, parasites and mucus from fishes. Lysmata californica associates with the green moray eel Gymnothorax mordax Ayres, 1859 but also lives freely under rocks and in cracks ( Wicksten 2009). Although some species of Lysmata form pairs, L. californica can occur in swarms of as many as 22 or more individuals.