Carapace and abdomen strongly compressed, without any grooves and carinae, being armed with only a branchiostegal spine. Rostrum about as long as carapace and almost horizontally extended forward; 9-13 and 4-5 suberect spines on upper and lower margins, respectively. First two pereiopods chelate and shorter than posterior three pairs; all pairs with luminescent organs. Second to sixth abdominal segments with strong dorsal median carina; posterior end of third to fifth segments each with a spine, that of the third being the most conspicuous. Telson with a groove on median part of its dorsal surface with five pairs of lateral spines.
Distribution:
North Atlantic from the Tropic of Cancer to about 53°N, the Indian and Pacific Oceans, 900-1,800 m deep.
Remarks:
The species of the purpurea group are very close to each other, and thus the records of distributions in the literature are not always reliable.