Name Dropping on Decapods

Abstract

The excitement and publicity surrounding the discovery of a new and unusual decapod crustacean from Pacific hydrothermal vents (“A crustacean Yeti,” Random Samples, 17 Mar., p. 1531) is well deserved. However, the new family proposed to accommodate the species is hardly “the first new family of decapods… in a century.” The most recent compilation of all currently recognized extant decapod families ([1][1]) lists 36 families of decapods—nearly a quarter of all recognized decapod families—that have been erected or newly recognized since 1906. Although some of the family names recognize assemblages that were previously known but only recently treated as families, many are based on novel finds. Included among these are at least two families based on species that are, like the new “Yeti crab,” endemic to or restricted to hydrothermal vents and cold hydrocarbon seeps: the brachyuran crab family Bythograeidae ([2][2]) and the caridean shrimp family Alvinocarididae ([3][3]), based on the genus Alvinocaris , a name that honors the DSV Alvin, a submarine that was first launched in 1964. 1. 1.[↵][4]1. J. W. Martin, 2. G. E. Davis , An Updated Classification of the Recent Crustacea, Nat. Hist. Mus. Los Angeles County Sci. Ser. 39, 1 (2001). [OpenUrl][5] 2. 2.[↵][6]1. A. B. Williams , Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash. 93, 443 (1980). [OpenUrl][7] 3. 3.[↵][8]1. M. L. Christoffersen , Boll. Zool. (Univ. Sao Paulo Brazil) 10, 273 (1986). [OpenUrl][9] [1]: #ref-1 [2]: #ref-2 [3]: #ref-3 [4]: #xref-ref-1-1 View reference 1. in text [5]: {openurl}?query=rft.jtitle%253DNat.%2BHist.%2BMus.%2BLos%2BAngeles%2BCounty%2BSci.%2BSer.%26rft.volume%253D39%26rft.spage%253D1%26rft.genre%253Darticle%26rft_val_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Ajournal%26ctx_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ctx_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Actx [6]: #xref-ref-2-1 View reference 2. in text [7]: {openurl}?query=rft.jtitle%253DProc.%2BBiol.%2BSoc.%2BWash.%26rft.volume%253D93%26rft.spage%253D443%26rft.genre%253Darticle%26rft_val_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Ajournal%26ctx_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ctx_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Actx [8]: #xref-ref-3-1 View reference 3. in text [9]: {openurl}?query=rft.jtitle%253DBoll.%2BZool.%2B%2528Univ.%2BSao%2BPaulo%2BBrazil%2529%26rft.volume%253D10%26rft.spage%253D273%26rft.atitle%253DBOLL%2BZOOL%2BUNIV%2BSAO%2BPAULO%2BBRAZIL%26rft.genre%253Darticle%26rft_val_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Ajournal%26ctx_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ctx_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Actx