Alvinocaris longirostris

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 : 460-461

ALVINOCARIS LONGIROSTRIS KIKUCHI & OHTA, 1995

Type locality: western Pacific Ocean, Okinawa Trough, Iheya Ridge , north-eastern slope; Clam Site ; 27°32.70′N, 126°58.20′E; 1360 m .

Known range: Okinawa Trough, Iheya Ridge, Clam and Pyramid sites ( Kikuchi & Ohta, 1995; Hashimoto, 1997, in Desbruyères & Segonzac, 1997), Sagami Bay seeps (P. Chevaldonné, pers. comm.; Fujikura et al., 1999), and seamounts of the Kermadec Ridge off New Zealand ( Webber, 2004).

Material: type locality; Shinkai 2000 dive 409; 10 June 1989; hand net attached to manipulator; NMST-Cr 11439 (holotype, non-ovigerous female), non-types (2 ovigerous females).

–type locality; Shinkai 2000 dive 480; 16 May 90; baited trap; NSMT-Cr 11440 (paratypes, 3 female specimens), no registration number provided (nontypes, 4 female specimens) ( Kikuchi & Ohta, 1995).

– western Pacific Ocean, Okinawa Trough, Iheya Ridge , north-eastern slope, Pyramid site; 27°32.70′N, 126°58.20′E; Shinkai 2000 dive 481; 1410 m; 17 May 90; baited trap; no registration number provided, nontypes, 11 female specimens ( Kikuchi & Ohta, 1995) .

– western Pacific Ocean, Okinawa Trough, Iheya Ridge , north-eastern slope; 27°47.179′N, 126°54.091′E; 1053 m; JMSTC, Shinkai 2000 dive 1094; 8 May 99; coll. S. Tsuchida; non-type, 7 females .

–Sagami Bay, Hatsushina site, cold seeps ( Fujikura et al., 1995, 1996)

–South Pacific Ocean, off New Zealand, southern Kermadec Ridge, Brothers Caldera, sta. X553; 34°52.77–53.25′S, 179°4.33–4.59′E; 1335–1490 m; 2 February 1996; rock dredge; 1 male, NIWA 3274 ; 1 female, NIWA 3275 . –sta. TAN0107/131; 34°52.58– 52.28′S, 179°3.80–3.64′E; 1370– 1200 m; 21 May 2001; benthic sled; 3 specimens (131, D–F), NIWA 3263 ; 52 specimens, NIWA 3269 ; 1 specimen (A), MNZ CR. 9978; 5 specimens, MNZ CR. 9988. –sta. TAN0107/134; 34°52.87–52.76′S, 179°4.17–4.60′E; 1518– 1210 m; 21 May 2001; epibenthic sled; 1 female, NIWA 3264 ; 6 specimens, NIWA 3270 ; 2 specimens, MNZ CR. 9985. –sta. TAN0107/135; 34°52.89–52.87′S, 179°3.76– 3.21′E; 1346– 1196 m; 21 May 2001; benthic sled; 2 specimens (A, C), NIWA 3265 ; 94 specimens, NIWA 3271 ; 1 specimen (B), MNZ CR. 9979; 5 specimens, MNZ CR. 9987. –sta. TAN0107/136; 34°53.12–53.35′S, 179°4.49–5.09′E; 1526– 1197 m; 21 May 2001; benthic sled; 2 specimens (A, B), NIWA 3266 ; 80 specimens, NIWA 3272 ; 1 specimen (A), MNZ CR. 9980; 5 specimens, MNZ CR. 9986. –sta. TAN0107/140; 34°51.69– 51.46′S, 179°3.35–3.11′E; 1850– 1460 m; 22 May 2001; benthic sled; 1 female, NIWA 3267 . –sta. TAN0107/141; 34°52.96–52.69′S, 179°4.02–4.93′E; 1538– 1197 m; 22 May 2001; benthic sled; 1 female, NIWA 3262 ( Webber, 2004: fig. 5) ; 23 specimens (141vou, B–U, Y, Z); 73 specimens, NIWA 3273 ; 1 specimen ( V), MNZ CR. 9981 ; 1 specimen (X), MNZ CR. 9982; 1 specimen (W), MNZ CR. 9983; 10 specimens, MNZ CR. 9984.

Remarks: Kikuchi & Ohta (1995) made ‘biological and ecological surveys of deep-sea benthic macrobiota and planktonic organisms in hydrothermal vent fields in the Okinawa Trough.’ It is assumed that this species is the undescribed Alvinocaris reported by Ohta (1990a: 148) from this region. Although all 21 specimens reported by Kikuchi & Ohta (1995) were females, there were no ovigerous females and no other mention of the reproductive status of the specimens. The original description ( Kikuchi & Ohta, 1995) was also the basis for the summary by Hashimoto (1997, in Desbruyères & Segonzac, 1997). Watabe & Miyake (2000) reported this species from Hatoma Knoll, south of the Okinawa Trough. Fujikura et al. (1995, 1999) reported its presence in chemosynthetic communities of Sagami Bay. Webber (2004: 18) reported the collection of 374 specimens of A. longirostris from the Brothers Caldera of the Kermadec Ridge; the specimens were collected almost entirely by benthic sled during a survey of the volcanic seamount using the R / V Tangaroa . Webber (2004) examined 41 of the 374 specimens collected from Brothers Caldera and found their morphology to be consistent with that reported by Kikuchi & Ohta (1995) for A. longirostris . However, Webber (2004) reported several differences between the collection from Brothers Caldera and those from the type locality; these included the ratio of rostrum length to carapace length, and the presence of a plumose seta on the proximal article of the mandibular palp, third maxilla and first maxilliped. Alvinocaris longirostris has not been reported from closely associated systems such as those of the Lau and North Fiji basins. Hence, with Brothers Caldera at 34°S and Iheya Ridge at 27°N, the geographical distribution alone appears to warrant comparison of specimens from Brothers Caldera with the type series.

T. Wolff (pers. comm.) has indicated that this species, or a very similar one, occurs at Papua New Guinea vent sites.