Janicella spinicauda

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 : 472-473

JANICELLA SPINICAUDA (A. MILNE- EDWARDS, 1883)

Type locality: Off Casablanca , Morocco: Travailleur sta. 65 ; 34°13′30″N, 7°43′W, 636 m.

Known range: ‘Widespread mesopelagically in the tropical seas of the world, except in the eastern Pacific off the Americas’ ( Chace, 1986).

Occurrence at vents or seeps: limited to the Kick’em Jenny underwater volcano, eastern Caribbean (see below).

Material: Vent material restricted to: eastern Caribbean, Kick’em Jenny Volcano; 12°18.076′N 61°88.25′W; Ronald H. Brown cruise RB-03-03, Eastern Oceanics Remotely Operated Vehicle, dive 3; 261 m; 16 March 2003; LACM CR 2003-010.1 [2 individuals (one ovigerous)]; additional material in the private collection of K. Wishner.

Remarks: Clearly a non-endemic species, Janicella spinicauda (transferred from the genus Oplophorus by Chace, 1986) is believed to have been trapped in the toxic plume of gases issuing from the underwater Kick’em Jenny volcano during the diel migrations of this species. Dead or at least moribund specimens were found on the crater floor (Martin et al., 2005; Wishner et al., 2005).

GENUS OPLOPHORUS A. MILNE- EDWARDS, 1881 OPLOPHORUS GRACILIROSTRIS A. MILNE- EDWARDS, 1881

Type locality: Caribbean Sea , off Dominica, Lesser Antilles ; 216 m.

Known range: ‘Off southeastern Africa, Indian Ocean, Indonesia, Philippines, southern Japan, Fiji Islands, Hawaii, Gulf of Mexico, Bahamas, Caribbean Sea; mesopelagic’ ( Chace, 1986).

Occurrence at vents or seeps: limited to the Kick’em Jenny underwater volcano, eastern Caribbean (see below).

Material: Vent material restricted to: eastern Caribbean , Kick’em Jenny Volcano ; 12°18.076′N 61°88.25′W; Ronald H. Brown cruise RB-03-03, Eastern Oceanics Remotely Operated Vehicle, Dive 3; 261 m; 16 March 2003; LACM CR 2003 - 010.3 (1 male); additional material in the private collection of K. Wishner .

Remarks: This species was collected along with Janicella spinicauda (see above) and the sergestid Sergia cf. robusta from the caldera of the Kick’em Jenny Volcano, eastern Caribbean (Martin et al., 2005; Wishner et al., 2005). Like Janicella spinicauda , the species was found on the floor of the submarine volcano and was probably trapped by toxic gases issuing from the sediment within the caldera.