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Alpheus edwardsii

Alpheus edwardsii (Audouin, 1827)

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Overview

Overview

Alpheus edwardsii is an Indo-West Pacific snapping shrimp that belongs to the Edwardsii species group within the genus Alpheus. Alpheus edwardsii commonly lives in pairs in the intertidal; Ming-Shiou (1994) found that the antennular flagellum plays an important role in pairing behavior in this species. For more details, see ABRS (2009): http://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/abrs/online-resources/fauna/a....

Author(s): Hultgren, Kristin
Rights holder(s): Hultgren, Kristin

Ecology and Behavior

Natural History

Alpheus edwardsii commonly lives in pairs in the intertidal; Ming-Shiou (1994) found that the antennular flagellum plays an important role in pairing behavior in this species.

Author(s): Hultgren, Kristin
Rights holder(s): Hultgren, Kristin

Habitat and Host Associations

This species is primarily intertidal, where it lives under rocks, in clumps of coral, and in sandy/muddy areas; it has been dredged from as deep as 26 meters (Banner and Banner 1982)

Author(s): Hultgren, Kristin
Rights holder(s): Hultgren, Kristin

Reproduction and Life History

Alpheus edwardsii commonly lives in heterosexual pairs in the intertidal; Ming-Shiou (1994) found that the antennular flagellum plays an important role in pairing behavior in this species.

Author(s): Hultgren, Kristin
Rights holder(s): Hultgren, Kristin

Distribution

Indo-West Pacific and Indian Ocean: Australia, Red Sea, Thailand, Philippines; likely throughout the Indian Ocean and Southeast Asia, Caroline Islands (Banner and Banner 1982, Chace 1988). (Banner and Banner (1972) note that earlier records should be viewed with caution, as this name has been applied to many specimens.

Author(s): Hultgren, Kristin
Rights holder(s): Hultgren, Kristin

Evolution and Phylogenetics

Phylogenetics

For a detailed matrix of phylogenetically informative morphological characters, see Anker et al. (2006)

Author(s): Hultgren, Kristin
Rights holder(s): Hultgren, Kristin

Identification and Taxonomy

Systematics and Identification

Alpheus edwardsii belongs to the Edwardsii species group within the genus Alpheus (Banner and Banner 1982). Type locality: Suez (neotype) (Banner and Banner 1972), types stored at the Muséum national d’Histoire Naturelle, Paris, France (MNHN). For additional descriptions, see Banner and Banner (1982), Chace (1988), Anker (2001).

Author(s): Hultgren, Kristin
Rights holder(s): Hultgren, Kristin

Morphology

Maximum body size is 14 mm (carapace length) (Chace 1988). Specimens of what was first identified as Alpheus edwardsii were collected by Savigny while he was a naturalist on Napoleon's Egyptian campaign; Audouin (1827) applied the name Athanas edwardsii to the specimens, but the types have been lost. Banner and Banner (1972) established a neotype for A. edwardsii based on material from the Suez area. Anker (2001) notes that A. edwardsii and A. audouini (the latter currently a junior synonym of A. edwardsii) may be two distinct species. Color likely variable; one specimen from the Red Sea has been described as having a greyish green body with light sides, abdomen with 7 longitudinal rows of white spots, chelae bluish grey with pale fingers and brown tips (reported in Banner and Banner 1981).

Author(s): Hultgren, Kristin
Rights holder(s): Hultgren, Kristin

Synonomies

Without name (Savigny 1809); Athanas edwardsii (Audoin 1827); Alpheus audoini (Coutiere 1905); ?Alpheus cf. edwardsii (sensu Naim 1980); Crangon edwardsii (Rathbun 1914);; ?Crangon edwardsii (variety, Hale 1927a); not Alpheus edwardsii (Milne-Edwards 1937 = A. macrocheles); not Alpheus edwardsii (sensu Bate 1888, = A. leviusculus); ?Crangon monopodium (Bose 1802); Alpheus Audoiuni (Coutiere 1905b); Crangon audouini (Banner 1953); Alpheus crassimanus (not Heller, sensu Fourmanoir 1955).

Author(s): Hultgren, Kristin
Rights holder(s): Hultgren, Kristin

References

ABRS (2009).  Australian Faunal Directory.
Anker, A. (2001).  Two new species of snapping shrimps from the Indo-Pacific, with remarks on colour patterns and sibling species in Alpheidae (Crustacea : Caridea). Raffles Bulletin Of Zoology. 49, 57-72. Abstract
Anker, A., Ahyong S. T., Noel P. Y., & Palmer A. R. (2006).  Morphological phylogeny of alpheid shrimps: parallel preadaptation and the origin of a key morphological innovation, the snapping claw. Evolution. 60, 2507-2528. Abstract
Audouin, V. (1827).  Description de l'Egypt ou recueil des observations et des recherches qui ont été faites en Egypt pendant l'expéditions de l'armée française. In: Description de l'Egypte, Histoire Naturelle, Edition 2. 22, 249-290.
Banner, A. H., & Banner D. M. (1972).  The establishment of a neotype for Alpheus edwardsi (Audouin). Bull. Mus. Natl. Hist. Nat. (3e), no. 88, Zool.. 67, 1141-1146.
Banner, D. M., & Banner A. H. (1981).  Annotated checklist of the alpheid shrimp of the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. Zoologische Verhandelingen, Leiden. 190, 1-99.
Banner, D. M., & Banner A. H. (1982).  The alpheid shrimp of Australia: Part 3: the remaining alpheids, principally the genus Alpheus, and the family Ogyrididae. Records of the Australian Museum. 34, 1-357.
Chace, F. A. (1988).  The caridean shrimps (Crustacea: Decapoda) of the Albatross Philippine Expedition, 1907-1910, Part 5: Family Alpheidae. Smithsonian Contributions to Zoology. 466, 1-112.
Ming-Shiou, J. (1994).  Effect of antennular and antennal ablation on pairing behavior of snapping shrimp Alpheus edwardsii (Audouin). Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology. 179(2), 171-178.