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Lophogastrida is an order of malacostracan crustaceans in the superorder Peracarida. They are shrimp-like animals that mostly inhabit the relatively deep pelagic waters of the oceans throughout the world.^1]

Most lophogastridan species are 1?8 centimetres (0.4?3.1 in) long, but can be up to 35 cm (14 in), probably the largest pelagic crustacean in the world.^[1] Some 56 extant species in total are currently known. They are classified into three families and nine genera.[2]

The external features of the Lophogastrida include stalked compound eyes, a carapace that covers the head and thoracic segments, and a muscular cylindrical abdomen. The carapace often extends beyond the head to form an elongated rostrum. As with other Peracarida, the Lophogastrida are separated from true shrimp in that they carry their developing embryos and young in a brood pouch, or marsupium, and they thus lack a separate planktonic larval stage.^[3]

Previously, the Lophogastrida were classified as a suborder of a broader peracaridan order Mysidacea, together with the Mysida (and Stygiomysida), but that taxon is currently generally abandoned.^[1][2][4][5] Features distinguishing the Lophogastrida from the Mysida include the absence of statocysts in their uropods, and the presence of well-developed biramous pleopods on the abdomen,^[1] as well as molecular characters.^[6]

achusetts: Sinauer Associates. ISBN 978-0-87893-097-5. 

^ ^{a b} Gary Anderson (January 20, 2010). "Peracarida taxa and literature (Cumacea, Lophogastrida, Mysida, Stygiomysida and Tanaidacea)". http://peracarida.usm.edu/iwp_home.html. 

^ J. H. S. Blaxter, F. S. Russell & M. Yonge, ed. (1980). The Biology of Mysids and Euphausiids. Advances in Marine Biology. 18. Academic Press. pp. 1?680. ISBN 978-0-08-057941-2. 

^ Jan Mees (2011). "Lophogastrida". World Register of Marine Species. http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=149669. Retrieved July 17, 2011. 

^ Joel W. Martin & George E. Davis (2001) (PDF). An Updated Classification of the Recent Crustacea. Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County. pp. 132 pp. http://atiniui.nhm.org/pdfs/3839/3839.pdf. 

^ Kenneth Meland & Endre Willassen (2007). "The disunity of "Mysidacea" (Crustacea)" (PDF). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 44 (3): 1083?1104. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2007.02.009. PMID 17398121. http://decapoda.nhm.org/pdfs/31293/31293.pdf.