Heterocarpus Explained

Heterocarpus is a genus of deep-sea shrimp, mainly of tropical areas all over the world.

Description

Heterocarpus is characterised by the highly unequal second pair of pereiopods: one side is long and thin and the other is short but stronger, besides the carapace with one or more longitudinal carinae.^{[1] [2]}

Species

So far, 30 species have been described for this genus, Heterocarpus ensifer being the type species. The described species of this genus are:

• Heterocarpus abulbus Yang, Chan & Chu, 2010
• Heterocarpus affins Faxon, 1893
• Heterocarpus alexandri A. Milne-Edwards, 1883
• Heterocarpus amacula Crosnier, 1988
• Heterocarpus calmani Crosnier, 1988
• Heterocarpus chani Li, 2006
• Heterocarpus corona Yang, Chan & Chu, 2010
• Heterocarpus cutressi Monterossa, 1988
• Heterocarpus dorsalis Bate, 1888
• Heterocarpus ensifer A. Milne-Edwards, 1881
• Heterocarpus inopinatus Tavares, 1999
• Heterocarpus intermedius Crosnier, 1999
• Heterocarpus gibbosus Bate, 1888
• Heterocarpus grimaldii A. Milne-Edwards & Bouvier, 1900
• Heterocarpus hayashii Crosnier, 1988
• Heterocarpus hostilis Faxon, 1893
• Heterocarpus laevigatus Bate, 1888
• Heterocarpus lepidus De Man, 1917
• Heterocarpus longirostris McGilchrist, 1905
• Heterocarpus neisi Burukovsky, 1986
• Heterocarpus oryx A. Milne-Edwards, 1881
• Heterocarpus parvispina Crosnier, 1988
• Heterocarpus reedi Bahamondi, 1955
• Heterocarpus sibogae De Man, 1917
• Heterocarpus signatus Rathbun, 1906
• Heterocarpus tenuidentatus Crosnier, 2006
• Heterocarpus tricarinatus Alcock & Anderson, 1894
• Heterocarpus unicarinatus Borradeile, 1915
• Heterocarpus woodmasoni Alcock, 1901
• Heterocarpus vicarius Faxon, 1893

Ecology

Many Heterocarpus shrimp are known for using bioluminescence as a defense, spitting it on predators.^[3] Studies about their feeding habits,^[4] and the fact that they may be found in the stomach contents of some pelagic sharks^[5] and other fishes^[6] is interpreted as they have benthic habits, but they do migrations to the water column at night. Some species of this genus have high fishery potential, such as H. reedi ^[7] and H. laevigatus.^[8]

Notes and References

1. Fenner A. Chace, Jr. . 1985 . The Caridean Shrimps (Crustacea, Decapoda) of the Albatross Philippine Expedition, 1907–1910, Part 3: Families Thalassocarididae and Pandalidae . . 411 . 411 . 1–143 . 10.5479/si.00810282.411. Fenner A. Chace, Jr .
2. Alain Crosnier . 1988 . Sur les Heterocarpus (Crustacea, Decapoda, Pandalidae) du sud-ouest de l'océan Indien. Remarques sur d'autres espèces ouest-pacifiques du genre et description de quatre taxa nouveaux . . 4ème série . 10 . A 1 . 57–103. 10.5962/p.287497 . 133303744 . free .
3. B. K. K. Chan . I. C. Lin . T. W. Shih . T. Y. Chan . 2008 . Bioluminescent emissions of the deep-water pandalid shrimp, Heterocarpus sibogae De Man, 1917 (Decapoda, Caridea, Pandalidae) under laboratory conditions . . 81 . 3 . 341–350 . 10.1163/156854008783564064 .
4. S. F. Rainer . 1992 . Diet of prawns from the continental slope of north-western Australia . . 50 . 2 . 258–274 .
5. Teodoro Vaske Júnior . Carolus Maria Vooren . Rosangela Paula Lessa . 2009 . Feeding strategy of the night shark (Carcharhinus signatus) and the scalloped hammershark (Sphyruna lewini) near seamounts off northeastern Brazil . . 57 . 2 . 97–104 . 10.1590/S1679-87592009000200002. free .
6. M. G. King . 1984 . The species and depth distribution of deepwater caridean shrimps (Decapoda, Caridea) near some Southwest Pacific islands . . 47 . 2 . 174–191 . 20103973 . 10.1163/156854084X00405. 84728160 .
7. P. E. Pérez . 2007 . An economic analysis of the Heterocarpus reedi and Cervimunida johni fisheries off northern-central Chile, from 1997 to 2000 . . 35 . 2 . 45–52 . 10.4067/S0717-71782007000200005. free .
8. Stephen Ralston . 1986 . An intensive fishing experiment for the caridean shrimp, Heterocarpus laevigatus, at Alamagan Island in the Mariana archipelago . . 84 . 4 . 927–934 .