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Genus of crustaceans From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Synalpheus is a genus of snapping shrimp of the family Alpheidae, presently containing more than 160 species; new ones are described on a regular basis, and the exact number even of described species is disputed.
| Synalpheus | |
|---|---|
| |
| Synalpheus fritzmuelleri | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Malacostraca |
| Order: | Decapoda |
| Suborder: | Pleocyemata |
| Infraorder: | Caridea |
| Family: | Alpheidae |
| Genus: | Synalpheus Bate, 1888 |
| Type species | |
| Synalpheus falcatus Bate, 1888 [1] | |
| Species | |
|
See species list | |
| Synonyms | |
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List
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Although the genus Zuzalpheus was proposed for S. gambarelloides, S. brooksi, and their closest relatives, this has not been adopted and is not considered a monophyletic clade within the genus Synalpheus.[2][3][4]
Over 160 species are recognised in the genus Synalpheus. For a complete listing, see List of Synalpheus species.
In the narrower sense, Synalpheus occur in the eastern Pacific where they are most plentiful and probably originated, and to a lesser extent in the Atlantic and the Indian Ocean; the species placed in Zuzalpheus occur mainly in the western Atlantic where their lineage probably originated, and to a lesser extent in the eastern Atlantic and Indian Ocean, and the eastern Pacific. It may thus be that the closure of the Isthmus of Panama in the Piacenzian (about 3 million years ago) was a key factor in separating the two lineages, as species referred to Synalpheus sensu stricto are most plentiful in the western Pacific.[4]
The snapping behaviour of Synalpheus is rather well studied. In Synalpheus parneomeris, peak to peak source levels of 185–190 dB re 1 μPa at 1 m were measured, depending on the size of the claw.[5]
The only known eusocial aquatic species occur within the genus Synalpheus. The species known to be eusocial are S. brooksi, S. chacei, S. elizabethae, S. filidigitus, S. rathbunae, S. regalis,[2] S. microneptunus,[6] and S. duffyi as well as potentially S. riosi.[7] Eusociality has evolved at least three times within Synalpheus.[3][8] It appears that there were multiple rapid radiations between 3 and 9 mya from which the ancestors of these eusocial species appeared.[8] Eusociality is thought to have arisen due to competition for space, because among the species that host Synalpheus, empty sponges are rarely found.[9] It also appears that kin selection was necessary for this evolution to occur because the only species in which eusociality has appeared are non-dispersing shrimp that hatch directly into crawling individuals.[10] Until recently, eusocial species of Synalpheus have appeared in far greater abundance than, and appear to outcompete, less social species for space in sponges.[9][11]
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