ABSTRACT
The functional morphology of the feeding appendages is reviewed in the 85 species of this order. The relevance of the in situ relationships of the mouthparts in feeding is investigated. Euphausiids, previously considered as maxillary feeders, are now accepted as thoracic feeders, the thoracic legs in conjunction forming a filtering basket. Water is enclosed within the basket and expressed through the setal meshes of the legs. Methods of transferring the strained food from the inside walls of the basket to the oral cavity are at present conjectural. Live prey can be captured in the filtering basket. Some species of euphausiids do not have a developed filtering basket, but have especially elongated thoracic legs whose use in capturing live prey has not been described. Grooming in euphausiids has not been investigated in any detail.
