Alvinocaris markensis, WILLIAMS, 1988

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 : 461

ALVINOCARIS MARKENSIS WILLIAMS, 1988

Type locality: North Atlantic Ocean , MAR, Snake Pit hydrothermal vent field, 70 km S of Kane Fracture Zone; 23°22.09′N, 44°57.12′W; 3437 m .

Known range: Known from the Snake Pit (23°N, 3480 m), TAG (26°N, 3734 m), Logatchev and Broken Spur vent fields of the MAR ( Williams, 1988; Segonzac et al., 1993; Gebruk et al., 1997, 2000a; Shank, 1997,

in Desbruyères & Segonzac, 1997: 192; Turnipseed et al., 2004).

Material: type locality; NSF Ocean Drilling Program Leg 106, Alvin dive 1683; 3437 m; 30 May 1986; USNM 234286 (holotype, female) , USNM 234287 (paratypes, 2 females, both damaged) ( Williams, 1988) .

North Atlantic Ocean, MAR:

–Snake Pit hydrothermal vent field, Elan site; HYDROSNAKE, Nautile HS 03; 3515 m; 21 June 88; MNHN-Na 14279 (non-types, 4 males). –Les Ruches site; 23°22.13′N, 44°57.13′W; HYDROSNAKE, Nautile HS 10; 3482 m; 28 June 1988; slurp gun; MNHN-Na (non-types, 1 female, 1 juvenile, damaged). –Les Ruches site; 23°22.13′N, 44°57.13′W; Alvin dive 2619; 3482 m; 20 June 1993; MNHN-Na 14280 (non-type, 1 male, 2 females), MNHN-Na 14281 (non-type, 1 female). –Moose Mound, 23°22.1′N, 44°57.1′W; Alvin dive 2621; 3398 m; 22 June 1993; 2 specimens? ( Wharton et al., 1997). –Moose Mound, Alvin dive 2623; June 1993; 3 specimens? ( Wharton et al., 1997). –Les Ruches site; 23°22.90′N, 44°57.13′W; MICROSMOKE, Nautile dive MS 16; 3500 m; 15 November 95; MNHN- Na 14283 (non-type, 1 female). –Les Ruches site; 23°22.90′N, 44°57.13′W; Nautile dive 08; 3480 m; 21 November 95; baited trap; MNHN-Na 14282 (nontypes, 1 male, 13 females), MNHN-Na (non-types, 2 females, 5 undetermined ( Komai & Segonzac, 2003; T. Komai, pers. comm.). –Les Ruches site; 23°22.90′N, 44°57.13′W; Nautile dive 16; 3500 m; 29 November 95; MNHN-Na (non-types, 4 females). –Les Ruches site; 23°22′N, 44°56′W; HYDROSNAKE, Nautile dives 03, 08 and 10 ( Segonzac, de Saint Laurent & Casanova, 1993).

– Lucky Strike field, Tour Eiffel, 37°13.48′N, 32°19.42′W; ROV Victor dive 119-17; 1693 m; 16 July 2001; MNHN-Na 14284 (non-type, 1 ovigerous female) .

– Rainbow site, 36°13.759′N, 33°54.169′W; ROV Victor dive 104-02; 25 June 2001; MNHN-Na 14285 (nontype, 1 male). –same locality; IFREMER, ROV Victor dive 107-05; 30 June 2001; slurp gun; non-types, 1 female, 1 juvenile . – Rainbow site, 36°13.759′N, 33°54.169′W; ROV Victor dive 119-17; 2292 m; 8 August 2002; slurp gun; CBM-ZC 7041 (non-type, 1 female) .

Remarks: Alvinocaris markensis has been reported at least twice ( Segonzac et al., 1993; Komai & Segonzac, 2003) from the Snake Pit vent field since its original description (see above), but in some cases the numbers of specimens and where (or if) they were deposited in a museum was not given. Shank (1997, in Desbruyères & Segonzac, 1997) noted that this species is the least abundant of the three alvinocaridids at the TAG and Snake Pit sites, and that it is ‘typically found several meters from edifices venting high temperature fluids.’ Shank et al. (1999: 246) reported the distribution of A. markensis as one that includes the Broken Spur, TAG, Snake Pit and Logatchev sites along the MAR. However, they noted that the record from the Broken Spur site was based solely on video footage, and they provided collection data only for two specimens from Snake Pit (from DSMV Alvin dive 2621, listed above). Shank et al. (1999: 247) did not provide collectionrelated data upon which their report of A. markensis from the TAG and Logatchev sites was based, but they did report collections of Chorocaris chacei , Mirocaris keldyshii and Rimicaris exoculata from the TAG site and M. keldyshi from Logatchev, all collected during a cruise in 1997. Desbruyères et al. (2000: table 4) listed the species as rare at the TAG site. Feeding morphology and behaviour were studied by Casanova, Brunet & Segonzac (1993) and Segonzac et al. (1993), carotenoid pigments were analysed by Nègre-Sadargues, Castillo & Segonzac (2000), lipid fatty-acid composition was studied by Pond et al. (1997a, b, c) and eye morphology was described by Wharton et al. (1997). Because the holotype and paratypes of A. markensis are juvenile specimens, the species currently is being rediagnosed ( T. Komai, pers. comm.).