Nematocarcinus ensifer, (SMITH, 1882)

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 : 474

NEMATOCARCINUS ENSIFER ( SMITH, 1882)

Type locality: North Atlantic Ocean , United States, collected from six Steamer Blake stations, including sta. 340; 31– 41°N , 65– 74°W; 1481–2549 m.

Known range: North Atlantic Ocean , Gulf of Mexico, north-eastern Pacific Ocean .

Occurrence at vents or seeps: Reported from near MAR sites and from sites on the EPR (questionably; see below).

Material: EPR, 13°N site (12°48′N, 103°56.54′W, 2647 m); one ovigerous female, HOT 96 cruise , PL 11 , 21 February 1996, slurp gun, housed at the MNHN (M. Segonzac, pers. comm.). Another specimen was collected during the HOPE 99 cruise (M. Segonzac, pers. comm.). According to P. Chevaldonné (pers. comm.), three specimens were collected during the French HOT 96 cruise noted above; one was retained for the IFREMER collections in Brest and may be the abovementioned MNHN specimen, and the other two were given to T. Shank for genetic work. Shank et al. (1999) mentioned another two specimens, tentatively assigned to N. ensifer , from the 9°50′N site on the EPR (Alvin dive 2688, 22 December 1993) (but see below) .

Remarks: P. Herring (pers. comm.) has collected Nematocarcinus ensifer near MAR sites, although he correctly notes that his collections could have come from several kilometres away from any actual vent. A nem- atocardinid shrimp tentatively identified as this species was shown to be a very rapid colonizer of new vent areas (documented presence within 11 months of new venting) and very abundant (with densities of up to 0.5 m −2) in the peripheral area (approximately 4 to 40 m from vent openings) by Shank et al. (1998a: 483) at the 9°50′N EPR vents. However, given the range of N. ensifer (most confirmed records are from the Atlantic) and the taxonomic difficulties with this genus, it would seem wise to question the identity of the EPR species at least for now.