Munida is a member of the group known as the false crabs. They are all very crab like in appearance, but a closer examination reveals that they lack some feature of the true crabs. Most have fewer than five pairs of legs and many lack a complete carapace. It's an important part of local food webs filter feeding and scavenging in the water column when young, and later on the seafloor.

Planktonic as larvae and juveniles, bottom living as adults.

Opportunistic, Munida are known to be predators, scavengers, filter feeders and even cannibals!

Late stage juveniles can form enormous swarms during summer.

A Guide to the Plants and Animals of the New Zealand Marine Studies Centre: McKinnon