Cumaceans of Southern Australia

Cumaceans are a most unusual group of Crustaceans. In general they have an inflated carapace which may be strongly ornamented with spikes or horns, a narrow abdomen and thin forked tail. Cumaceans are almost exclusively marine but estuarine species do occur. Usually, they burrow into the surface of sandy and muddy sediments but they can also be found on the sediment trapped among macroalgae. At night especially cumaceans can be active swimmers in the open water and this is probably where mating occurs. Food is obtained by filtering water just above the sediment and also grazing on the surface of sand grains. There are several different families of cumaceans but only two are common.

Feedback and queries should be sent to the Discovery Centre at Museum Victoria.
Please note, the Discovery Centre can help you only with questions about crustaceans from southeastern Australia. It can not advise on the care of pet hermit crabs or on crustaceans from other regions.