Burrowing-crustacean
Guides
Callianassidae
Ghost Shrimps
Callianassidae is a family of burrowing decapod crustaceans commonly known as ghost shrimps, comprising 41 genera. Members are obligate burrowers in marine and estuarine sediments, with most species inhabiting intertidal to shallow subtidal habitats. The family has undergone significant taxonomic revision based on molecular phylogenetic studies, resulting in the establishment of numerous new genera. Ghost shrimps are ecologically important as ecosystem engineers and are frequently encountered in the fossil record, primarily as preserved cheliped elements.