Paralomis, WHITE, 1856

Martin, Joel W. & Haney, Todd A., 2005, Decapod crustaceans from hydrothermal vents and cold seeps: a review through 2005, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 145 (4), pp. 445-522 : 484

GENUS PARALOMIS WHITE, 1856

Remarks: Paralomis , a diverse and widespread lithodid genus with approximately 47 described species ( Macpherson, 1994a), is the best-represented lithodid genus at vents and seeps.

Paralomis sp. In addition to the species noted below, Chevaldonné & Olu (1996: 288–289) cited several earlier works where currently unidentified species assumed to belong to Paralomis (the generic placement is questionable in some cases) have been reported or collected from vent or seep sites. These reports include Hashimoto et al. (1990: fig. 2, and 1995, Minami-Ensei Knoll vents, Mid-Okinawa Trough), possibly Jollivet et al. (1989, ‘white coloured lithodid crabs’ from the North Fiji back-arc basin), Desbruyères et al. (1994, Lau back-arc basin), Tunnicliffe & Jensen (1987, Axial Seamount vents co-occurring with the majid crab Macroregonia macrochira ), Galkin & Moskalev (1990b, Juan de Fuca Ridge) and Suess et al. (1985, Oregon subduction zone cold seeps). To that list we could also add Ohta & Kim (2001: photograph 1) and Kim & Ohta (1991: fig. 11, Paralomis sp. from a baited trap on the Iheya Ridge). See Chevaldonné & Olu (1996) for a more detailed discussion of species of Paralomis reported from vent and seep sites, and Macpherson (2003) for a key to all western and central Pacific Ocean species. It is likely (based on the number of reports of Paralomis sp. in the literature) that many more species will be reported and/or described as exploration of these habitats continues ( Chevaldonné & Olu, 1996). Tunnicliffe & Jensen (1987) noted the presence of pieces of vestimentiferan worm tubes in stomachs of ‘ Paralomis sp. ’ from the Axial Seamount vents.