Heterocarpus

Heterocarpus is a genus of deep-sea shrimp, mainly of tropical areas all over the world.

Heterocarpus
Heterocarpus ensifer
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Malacostraca
Order:	Decapoda
Suborder:	Pleocyemata
Infraorder:	Caridea
Family:	Pandalidae
Genus:	Heterocarpus A. Milne-Edwards, 1881
Type species
Heterocarpus ensifer A. Milne-Edwards, 1881

Description

Heterocarpus is characterised by the highly unequal second pair of pereiopods: one side is long and thin and the other is short but stronger, besides the carapace with one or more longitudinal carinae.^[1][2]

Species

So far, 30 species have been described for this genus, Heterocarpus ensifer being the type species. The described species of this genus are:

• Heterocarpus abulbus Yang, Chan & Chu, 2010
• Heterocarpus affins Faxon, 1893
• Heterocarpus alexandri A. Milne-Edwards, 1883
• Heterocarpus amacula Crosnier, 1988
• Heterocarpus calmani Crosnier, 1988
• Heterocarpus chani Li, 2006
• Heterocarpus corona Yang, Chan & Chu, 2010
• Heterocarpus cutressi Monterossa, 1988
• Heterocarpus dorsalis Bate, 1888
• Heterocarpus ensifer A. Milne-Edwards, 1881
• Heterocarpus inopinatus Tavares, 1999
• Heterocarpus intermedius Crosnier, 1999
• Heterocarpus gibbosus Bate, 1888
• Heterocarpus grimaldii A. Milne-Edwards & Bouvier, 1900
• Heterocarpus hayashii Crosnier, 1988
• Heterocarpus hostilis Faxon, 1893
• Heterocarpus laevigatus Bate, 1888
• Heterocarpus lepidus De Man, 1917
• Heterocarpus longirostris McGilchrist, 1905
• Heterocarpus neisi Burukovsky, 1986
• Heterocarpus oryx A. Milne-Edwards, 1881
• Heterocarpus parvispina Crosnier, 1988
• Heterocarpus reedi Bahamondi, 1955
• Heterocarpus sibogae De Man, 1917
• Heterocarpus signatus Rathbun, 1906
• Heterocarpus tenuidentatus Crosnier, 2006
• Heterocarpus tricarinatus Alcock & Anderson, 1894
• Heterocarpus unicarinatus Borradeile, 1915
• Heterocarpus woodmasoni Alcock, 1901
• Heterocarpus vicarius Faxon, 1893

Ecology

Heterocarpus ensifer close-up and after "vomiting" or "spitting" bioluminescent fluid.

Many Heterocarpus shrimp are known for using bioluminescence as a defense, spitting it on predators.^[3] Studies about their feeding habits,^[4] and the fact that they may be found in the stomach contents of some pelagic sharks^[5] and other fishes^[6] is interpreted as they have benthic habits, but they do migrations to the water column at night. Some species of this genus have high fishery potential, such as H. reedi ^[7] and H. laevigatus.^[8]