Flattened and oval shaped in varying shades of brown these small crustaceans can be hard to find as they blend into their background. Size is up to a centimetre long.

Soft shore, often amongst rotting seaweed and can be found in very large numbers around dead animals. They prefer semi exposed to sheltered shores.

Scavengers which will feed on anything dead and rotting. Will clean dead fish from the inside out and are known to feed on baits and fish in fish traps and trawl nets.

Females carry eggs under their tails.

Photo Credit: Rod Morris. Photos can be purchased from https://www.rodmorris.co.nz/