Lophogastrida is an order of malacostracan crustaceans in the superorder Peracarida, comprising shrimp-like animals that mostly inhabit the relatively deep pelagic waters of the oceans throughout the world.
[2] The external features of lophogastrids include stalked compound eyes, a carapace that covers the head and thorax, and a muscular cylindrical abdomen.
As with other peracarids, lophogastrids are distinct from Caridean shrimp in that they carry their developing embryos and young in a brood pouch, or marsupium, and thus lack a separate planktonic larval stage.
[3] Previously, Lophogastrida was classified as a suborder of a broader peracaridan order, Mysidacea, together with Mysida and Stygiomysida, but that taxon has been generally abandoned.
[1][2][4][5] Features distinguishing lophogastrids from the mysids include the absence of statocysts in their uropods, and the presence of well-developed biramous pleopods on their abdomens.