[1][2][3][4][5] The genus is noted for its nearly completely transparent body, adapted for life in low light waters.

Cystisoma are characterized by unpigmented, transparent bodies which render them essentially invisible in water unless under precisely angled lighting.

There is only a single pair of eyes which are large and directed upwards, being spread into a thin sheet on the upper surface of the head.

[7][8] Marine biologists at Duke University and the Smithsonian analyzed the crustacean's shell and discovered that it was covered in microscopic spheres that significantly reduce reflected light, thus giving the organism an antireflective coating.

Researchers believe that they act as a buffer between light and the amphipod's body, significantly reducing surface reflection.