Lebbeus washingtonianus, (RATHBUN, 1902)

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 : 471

LEBBEUS WASHINGTONIANUS ( RATHBUN, 1902)

Type locality: North Pacific Ocean, United States, Washington, off Sea Lion Rock; 1253 m (as Spirontocaris washingtoniana Rathbun, 1902: 895, 1904: 76 ).

Known range: Eastern Pacific Ocean, west coast of North America, between Washington and Santa Rosa Island ; Guaymas Basin ( Butler, 1980) .

Occurrence at vents or seeps: Western Pacific Ocean, Iheya Ridge and Minami-Ensei Knoll in the Mid-Okinawa Trough, at depths of 690–1808 m ( Hashimoto, 1997, in Desbruyères & Segonzac, 1997).

Material: western Pacific Ocean, Okinawa Trough, Iheya Ridge, north-eastern slope; Clam Site; 27°32.70′N, 126°58.20′E; biological and ecological surveys of deep-sea benthic macrobiota and planktonic organisms in hydrothermal vent fields in the Okinawa Trough, Shinkai 2000 dive 409; 1360 m; 10 June 1989; either hand net attached to manipulator, or baited trap (ambiguous); non-type, 1 female ( Kikuchi & Ohta, 1995). –Clam Site; 27°32.70′N, 126°58.20′E; biological and ecological surveys of deep-sea benthic macrobiota and planktonic organisms in hydrothermal vent fields in the Okinawa Trough Shinkai 2000 dive 480; 1360 m; 16 May 1990; either hand net attached to manipulator, or baited trap (ambiguous); non-type, 1 female ( Kikuchi & Ohta, 1995). –Pyramid Site; 27°32.70′N, 126°58.20′E; biological and ecological surveys of deep-sea benthic macrobiota and planktonic organisms in hydrothermal vent fields in the Okinawa Trough Shinkai 2000 dive 481; 1410 m; 17 May 1990; either hand net attached to manipulator, or baited trap (ambiguous); non-types, 3 females ( Kikuchi & Ohta, 1995).

Remarks: If the species of Lebbeus reported from the Mid-Okinawa Trough is indeed L. washingtonianus , then this is a geographically very widespread and clearly non-endemic shrimp (although its density around hydrothermal vents can be ‘extremely high’; Hashimoto, 1997, in Desbruyères & Segonzac 1997). However, there is reason to doubt the identity of the Mid-Okinawa Trough specimens. Although the genus is very widespread, species tend to be geographically narrowly distributed, and no species other than L. washingtonianus is known to range from the northeastern Pacific to the subtropical western Pacific; thus, the range itself is suspect. Additionally, Kikuchi & Ohta’s (1995) identification was based on comparison with other descriptions in the literature only ( T. Komai, pers. comm.). Direct comparison of the Okinawan and eastern Pacific populations is needed to resolve this question. See Hashimoto (1997, in Desbruyères & Segonzac 1997), Butler (1980) and Fransen (1997) for additional references to non-vent literature (e.g. Rathbun, 1902; Schmitt, 1921; Holthuis, 1947; Wicksten, 1978). Vent literature includes Hashimoto et al. (1995) and Kikuchi & Ohta (1995). Butler (1980) reported the species from the Guaymas Basin, where there is hydrothermal activity, but it is not known if the species is found in association with such systems in the Guaymas Basin. See Kikuchi & Ohta (1995) for a redescription of the species based on specimens from the Okinawa Trough as well as vent and non-vent distributional records.

In addition to the above records, specimens attributed to ‘ Lebbeus sp. aff. washingtonianus ’ (based on preliminary identifications by the late M. de Saint Laurent) were reported from the North Fiji and Lau basins by Komai & Segonzac (2004). For the same reasons noted above for the Okinawa Trough specimens, we are doubtful that the North Fiji Basin and Lau Basin specimens are true L. washingtonianus .