''Belzebub'' is a genus of prawns in the family

Luciferidae Luciferidae is a family of prawns. These prawns are small, characterised by bioluminescence and the loss or reduction of some appendages. They are predators of tiny planktonic crustaceans for which their third pereiopod is adapted to capture b ...

. The species which make up the genus ''Belzebub'' were formerly placed in the genus ''

Lucifer Lucifer is one of various figures in folklore associated with the planet Venus. The entity's name was subsequently absorbed into Christianity as a name for the devil. Modern scholarship generally translates the term in the relevant Bible passage ...

'' but were separated to form ''Belzebub'' after a cladistic analysis. They are very small planktonic and benthic prawns with an extreme lateral compression of the carapace with elongated mandibles and anteriors of the

pereiopod The decapod (crustaceans such as a crab, lobster, shrimp or prawn) is made up of 20 body segments grouped into two main body parts: the cephalothorax and the pleon (abdomen). Each segment may possess one pair of appendages, although in various g ...

s but lacking pereiopods 4 and 5 and any gills. The pereiopods either lack

chelae A chela ()also called a claw, nipper, or pinceris a pincer (biology), pincer-like organ at the end of certain limbs of some arthropods. The name comes from Ancient Greek , through New Latin '. The plural form is chelae. Legs bearing a chela are ...

or they are substantially reduced. The sixth abdominal segment of males has two ventral processes and the

telson The telson () is the posterior-most division of the body of an arthropod. Depending on the definition, the telson is either considered to be the final segment of the arthropod body, or an additional division that is not a true segment on accou ...

has a strong ventral process.

Distinction from ''Lucifer''

''Belzebub'' is distinguished from the related ''Lucifer'' by have medium length eyestalks and by both sexes having similar eyes, in the species in ''Lucifer'' there is sexual dimorphism in the size of the eyes. In addition, the ventral process of the two on the male's sixth segment is straight and tapering rather than curved and obtuse.

Etymology

The generic name ''Belzebub'' is derived from an older English version of the biblical

Beelzebub Beelzebub ( ; he, ''Baʿal-zəḇūḇ'') or Beelzebul is a name derived from a Philistine god, formerly worshipped in Ekron, and later adopted by some Abrahamic religions as a major demon. The name ''Beelzebub'' is associated with the Cana ...

and the authors of the name used this version as it was shorter than others. They chose it because it is an alternative name for the devil who is also referred to as

, although in the case of the genus ''Lucifer'' the name literally means "light bearer" in Latin referring to the

bioluminescence Bioluminescence is the production and emission of light by living organisms. It is a form of chemiluminescence. Bioluminescence occurs widely in marine vertebrates and invertebrates, as well as in some fungi, microorganisms including some b ...

produced by the prawns in that genus.

Species

There are 5 species which make up the genus ''Belzebub'': * '' Belzebub chacei'' (Bowman, 1967) - east coast of South Africa and Madagascar east to Hawaii. * '' Belzebub faxoni'' (Borradaile, 1915) - Western Atlantic from Long Island Sound south to Rio de Janeiro, also recorded off West Africa. * '' Belzebub hanseni'' (Nobili, 1905) - from Madagascar and the Red Sea, east to the South China Sea and the South Pacific including Tasmania. It has also now been reported in the Mediterranean, probably as a

Lessepsian migrant The Lessepsian migration (also called Erythrean invasion) is the migration of marine species across the Suez Canal, usually from the Red Sea to the Mediterranean Sea, and more rarely in the opposite direction. When the canal was completed in 18 ...

through the

Suez Canal The Suez Canal ( arz, قَنَاةُ ٱلسُّوَيْسِ, ') is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, connecting the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea through the Isthmus of Suez and dividing Africa and Asia. The long canal is a popular ...

. * '' Belzebub intermedius'' (Hansen, 1919) - from the Gulf of Oman east to Japan. * '' Belzebub penicillifer'' (Hansen, 1919) - Indian Ocean, east to the Philippines and northern Australia.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q28432843 Dendrobranchiata Decapod genera