Synalpheus is a genus of snapping shrimp of the family Alpheidae, presently containing more than 160 species; new ones are described on a regular basis, and the exact number even of described species is disputed.
Taxonomy
Although the genus
Zuzalpheus was proposed for
S. gambarelloides,
S. brooksi, and their closest relatives, this has not been adopted and is not considered a monophyletic clade within the genus
Synalpheus.
Over 160 species are recognised in the genus Synalpheus. For a complete listing, see List of Synalpheus species.
Distribution
In the narrower sense,
Synalpheus occur in the eastern Pacific where they are most plentiful and probably originated, and to a lesser extent in the Atlantic and the Indian Ocean; the species placed in
Zuzalpheus occur mainly in the western Atlantic where their lineage probably originated, and to a lesser extent in the eastern Atlantic and Indian Ocean, and the eastern Pacific. It may thus be that the closure of the Isthmus of Panama in the
Piacenzian (about 3 million years ago) was a key factor in separating the two lineages, as species referred to
Synalpheus sensu stricto are most plentiful in the western Pacific.
Behaviour and ecology
Snapping
The snapping behaviour of
Synalpheus is rather well studied. In
Synalpheus parneomeris, peak to peak source levels of 185–190 dB re 1 μPa at 1 m were measured, depending on the size of the claw.
Eusociality
The only known
Eusociality aquatic species occur within the genus
Synalpheus. The species known to be eusocial are
S. brooksi,
S. chacei,
S. elizabethae,
S. filidigitus,
S. rathbunae,
S. regalis,
[ S. microneptunus,][ Eusociality is thought to have arisen due to competition for space, because among the species that host Synalpheus, empty sponges are rarely found.]
Further reading
External links
