Mysids or opossum shrimps are very important in freshwater and marine ecosystems, as they are food for a wide variety of animals. They are named after ventral pouch, where they keep their eggs and brood their offspring.
There are several species in New Zealand waters from freshwater, to marine and then from shallow waters down to over 1000m. The deep-sea mysids are important food for deep-sea
sharks (
Etmopterus baxteri Garrett, 1957 and
eels (
Diastobranchus capensis, Barnard, 1923).
Mysids are thought to feed on detritus,
algae and other small invertebrates. I believe the mysids pictured below are
Tenagomysis novaezealandiae Thomson, 1900, but I'm not certain (I'd need to have dead ones and a look under a microscope to id them with confidence).
They were amongst rocks at the base of Mount Maunganui, opposite Matakana Island. Each mysid is about 20mm in size.
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| Swarm of mysids, Mt. Maunganui, 2015. |
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| Swarm of mysids, Mt. Maunganui, 2015.
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| Swarm of mysids, Mt. Maunganui, 2015.
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| Swarm of mysids, Mt. Maunganui, 2015.
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Swarm of mysids, Mt. Maunganui, 2015.
This clip is slowed down to half speed. |
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