Arthropoda: Crustacea:Peracardia:Mysida & Lophogastrida

Introduction: The Mysida, Lophogastrida and Stygiomysida are shrimp-like crustaceans containing a 'brood pouch' are popularly known as "Opposum-shrimps".They are mostly marine, inhabiting all oceans from deep water to brackish coastal waters, a few species, however, also occur in freshwater.They are very common especially in estuaries and coastal waters, where they often congregate in large swarms.They are not as familiar as the decapods shrimps and prawns and as such are of limited commercial importance.Tattersall (1906( , 1908( , 1914( , 1915( , 1922( , and 1923( ), Pillai (1957( , 1961( , 1963( , 1964, 1 9 6 7 ) , P a n a m p u n n a y i l ( 1 9 7 7 ) a n d Panampunnayil and Viswakumar (1991) made a significant contribution to the Indian Mysids.Recently the contribution made by Biju (2008), Biju and Panampunnayil (2009, 2010, 2011), Biju et al. (2006) and Mahabatro et al. (2011) are noteworthy.