SUB FAMILY : PONTONIINAE

Body very strongly depressed, rostrun is short and broad and no conspicuous teeth

Dactylus of last three perepods simple

Commensal with bivalve

The lower portion of the branchiostegal regions of the carapace and the pleura if the anterior abdominal segments reflexed against the ventral surface

Telson is resting position carried strobgly flexed forward against the ventral surface of the abdomen, elongate, strongly tapered and with three pairs of dorsal spines

Posterior margin of the telson with only two pairs of large spines of which the outer pair are very short and a single paur of spine like setae.

Body mostly slender, rostrum long with conspicuous teeth

Dactylus of last three pereopods biunguiculate

Rostrum slightly longer, with 8-10 teeth above and 2 or 3 below

Sixth abdominal somite twice as long as fifth

Basal segment of antennular peduncle broader, its outer margin convex

Apex of antennal scale produced not so far beyond the spine which terminates in the outer edge

Second pereopods with merus decidedly shorter than ischium, palm little if at all more than half the length of ischium

Rostrum teeth formula 7-9 upper and below 1-3

In male, the lateral view of the rostral blade is broad in front of its middle point and is vary slightly upturned towards the apex.

The presence of supraorbital and hepatic spines and the long and slender carpus of the second pereopods

The fingers also bear a few tufts of setae on their margins and are without teeth on the cutting edge.