ALVINOCARIDIDAE CHRISTOFFERSEN, 1986

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 : 458

FAMILY ALVINOCARIDIDAE CHRISTOFFERSEN, 1986

Remarks: Many shrimp species now treated as members of the Alvinocarididae (see Martin & Davis, 2001; Komai & Segonzac, 2003) were initially treated as members of the family Bresiliidae . However, the caridean family Bresiliidae Calman, 1896 , in which Rimicaris , Alvinocaris and Chorocaris were originally placed, has now been restricted to the comparatively shallow-water genera Encantada , Bresilia , Agostocaris (sometimes treated as a member of its own family, the Agostocarididae ), Pseudocheles , Kirnasia , Lucaya , Tridiscias and Discias , with Discias sometimes treated under the family Disciadidae (e.g. see Martin & Hessler, 1990; Holthuis, 1993; Martin & Davis, 2001; Calado, Chevaldonné & dos Santos, 2004), and with the vent-endemic genera now transferred to the Alvinocarididae (see above and also Christoffersen, 1986; Segonzac et al., 1993, footnote; Martin & Davis, 2001; Komai & Segonzac, 2003). The family Bresiliidae is therefore not currently represented at any hydrothermal vent or seep site.

The family Mirocarididae Vereshchaka, 1997 , created by Vereshchaka (1997b) to accommodate the genus Mirocaris and two species, M. fortunata and M. keldyshi (which have since been synonymized; see under M. keldyshi ), was synonymized with the Alvinocarididae by Komai & Segonzac (2003).

The family Alvinocarididae , initially established by Christoffersen (1986) and later modified (see Komai & Segonzac, 2003), currently includes the genera Alvinocaris , Rimicaris , Chorocaris , Mirocaris , Nautilocaris and Opaepele . We are aware of ongoing (unpublished) descriptions of additional species of Alvinocaris , Chorocaris and Mirocaris as of this writing (see below). Additionally, one of the currently described species of Alvinocaris from the Okinawa Trough was recently transferred to a newly recognized genus, Shinkaicaris , by Komai & Segonzac (2005a).