Decapod crustaceans from hydrothermal vents and cold seeps: a review through 2005

Abstract

The taxonomic status, biogeographical distributions and existing collections are reviewed for all species of decapod crustaceans known from the vicinity of hydrothermal vents and cold (hydrocarbon or brine) seeps. To date, more than 125 species representing 33 families of decapods have been reported. Represented families are, in alphabetical order within infraorder, the penaeoid families Benthesicymidae and Sergestidae; the caridean families Alvinocarididae (all of which are vent or seep endemics), Crangonidae, Glyphocrangonidae, Hippolytidae, Nematocarcinidae, Oplophoridae, Palaemonidae, Pandalidae and Stylodactylidae; the anomuran families Chirostylidae, Galatheidae, Lithodidae and Parapaguridae; the brachyuran crab families Atelecyclidae, Bythograeidae (all of which are vent endemics), Cancridae, Epialtidae, Geryonidae, Goneplacidae, Homolidae, Majidae, Ocypodidae, Oregoniidae, Parthenopidae, Pisidae, Portunidae and Varunidae; the lobster (astacidean) family Nephropidae; and the thalassinidean families Axiidae, Callianassidae and Calocarididae. Some species appear to be vagrants, here defined as opportunistic species occasionally found in the vicinity of vent sites but not restricted to them. Other species, notably members of the shrimp family Alvinocarididae and the crab family Bythograeidae, are clearly endemics, known only from vent or seep sites and presumably restricted to them. All endemic vent shrimps, most of which were originally treated as members of the family Bresiliidae, are now treated as members of the family Alvinocarididae. The family Mirocarididae proposed earlier is no longer recognized following a recent review of the characters that define the genus Mirocaris and the family Alvinocarididae. Currently recognized vent-associated species of shrimp belong to six genera: Alvinocaris , Chorocaris , Mirocaris , Nautilocaris , Opaepele and Rimicaris ; the genus Iorania is no longer recognized. Several more genera and species are in various stages of description (manuscripts in press or in review). Of the endemic shrimp genera, only Alvinocaris has been reported from both hydrothermal vents and cold seeps. Vagrant shrimp species include members of the families Crangonidae (one species), Hippolytidae (several species in the genus Lebbeus ), Nematocarcinidae (genus Nematocarcinus , often seen but rarely collected), Oplophoridae (five genera), Palaemonidae (one species) and Pandalidae (one species of Chlorotocus questionably included).

Ontogenetic shifts in the trophic ecology of two alvinocaridid shrimp species at hydrothermal vents on the Mariana Arc, western Pacific Ocean

“…Alvinocaridid shrimp (Infraorder Caridea, Family Alvinocarididae), which include the genera Alvinocaris, Chorocaris, Mirocaris, Nautilocaris, Opaepele, Rimicaris, and Shinkaicaris, are endemic to hydrothermal vents and cold seeps (Martin & Haney, 2005). Including the many undescribed species that have been reported, there are currently ~27 species of alvinocaridids at hydrothermal vents, over half of which belong to the genus Alvinocaris (Martin & Haney 2005).…”

Mechanisms of biogenic gas migration revealed by seep carbonate paragenesis, Panoche Hills, California

“…All known modern lucinids and Vestimentifera are chemosynthetic and strictly restricted to reduced environments (Kiel, 2010), whereas most crustaceans found in seeps are not endemics but opportunistic species that can take advantage of this environment, feeding directly or indirectly on chemosynthetic bacteria (Martin and Haney, 2005). This may explain the relative widespread distribution of the Thalassinoides in comparison with bivalves and tube worms.…”

Deepwater Program: Lophelia II, continuing ecological research on deep-sea corals and deep-reef habitats in the Gulf of Mexico

“…The presence of relatively few species uniquely associated with deep-sea coral habitats corroborates the findings of other researchers studying these habitats. For example, the majority of fauna sampled on and adjacent to the coral framework (Cordes and others, 2008) and cold-seep sites (Carney, 1994;Martin and Haney, 2005) in the GOM were also representative of the background fauna found in other habitats on the continental slope of the GOM.…”