''Heterocarpus'' is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

of deep-sea

shrimp Shrimp are crustaceans (a form of shellfish) with elongated bodies and a primarily swimming mode of locomotion – most commonly Caridea and Dendrobranchiata of the decapod order, although some crustaceans outside of this order are refer ...

, mainly of tropical areas all over the world.

Description

''Heterocarpus'' is characterised by the highly unequal second pair of

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: one side is long and thin and the other is short but stronger, besides the

carapace A carapace is a Dorsum (biology), dorsal (upper) section of the exoskeleton or shell in a number of animal groups, including arthropods, such as crustaceans and arachnids, as well as vertebrates, such as turtles and tortoises. In turtles and tor ...

with one or more longitudinal carinae.

Species

So far, 30 species have been described for this genus, ''

Heterocarpus ensifer ''Heterocarpus ensifer'' is a species of deep-water shrimp. The nominate subspecies is found in the Atlantic Ocean from Spain and Madeira to Angola and from North Carolina to the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea; other subspecies occur in the Pa ...

'' being the

type species In zoological nomenclature, a type species (''species typica'') is the species name with which the name of a genus or subgenus is considered to be permanently taxonomically associated, i.e., the species that contains the biological type specimen ...

. The described species of this genus are: *'' Heterocarpus abulbus'' Yang, Chan & Chu, 2010 *'' Heterocarpus affins'' Faxon, 1893 *''

Heterocarpus alexandri ''Heterocarpus'' is a genus of deep-sea shrimp, mainly of tropical areas all over the world. Description ''Heterocarpus'' is characterised by the highly unequal second pair of pereiopods: one side is long and thin and the other is short but str ...

'' A. Milne-Edwards, 1883 *'' Heterocarpus amacula'' Crosnier, 1988 *'' Heterocarpus calmani'' Crosnier, 1988 *''

Heterocarpus chani ''Heterocarpus'' is a genus of deep-sea shrimp, mainly of tropical areas all over the world. Description ''Heterocarpus'' is characterised by the highly unequal second pair of pereiopods: one side is long and thin and the other is short but str ...

'' Li, 2006 *''

Heterocarpus corona ''Heterocarpus'' is a genus of deep-sea shrimp, mainly of tropical areas all over the world. Description ''Heterocarpus'' is characterised by the highly unequal second pair of pereiopods: one side is long and thin and the other is short but str ...

'' Yang, Chan & Chu, 2010 *''

Heterocarpus cutressi ''Heterocarpus'' is a genus of deep-sea shrimp, mainly of tropical areas all over the world. Description ''Heterocarpus'' is characterised by the highly unequal second pair of pereiopods: one side is long and thin and the other is short but str ...

'' Monterossa, 1988 *''

Heterocarpus dorsalis ''Heterocarpus'' is a genus of deep-sea shrimp, mainly of tropical areas all over the world. Description ''Heterocarpus'' is characterised by the highly unequal second pair of pereiopods: one side is long and thin and the other is short but str ...

'' Bate, 1888 *''

'' A. Milne-Edwards, 1881 *''

Heterocarpus inopinatus ''Heterocarpus'' is a genus of deep-sea shrimp, mainly of tropical areas all over the world. Description ''Heterocarpus'' is characterised by the highly unequal second pair of pereiopods: one side is long and thin and the other is short but str ...

'' Tavares, 1999 *''

Heterocarpus intermedius ''Heterocarpus'' is a genus of deep-sea shrimp, mainly of tropical areas all over the world. Description ''Heterocarpus'' is characterised by the highly unequal second pair of pereiopods: one side is long and thin and the other is short but str ...

'' Crosnier, 1999 *''

Heterocarpus gibbosus ''Heterocarpus'' is a genus of deep-sea shrimp, mainly of tropical areas all over the world. Description ''Heterocarpus'' is characterised by the highly unequal second pair of pereiopods: one side is long and thin and the other is short but str ...

'' Bate, 1888 *''

Heterocarpus grimaldii ''Heterocarpus'' is a genus of deep-sea shrimp, mainly of tropical areas all over the world. Description ''Heterocarpus'' is characterised by the highly unequal second pair of pereiopods: one side is long and thin and the other is short but str ...

'' A. Milne-Edwards & Bouvier, 1900 *''

Heterocarpus hayashii ''Heterocarpus'' is a genus of deep-sea shrimp, mainly of tropical areas all over the world. Description ''Heterocarpus'' is characterised by the highly unequal second pair of pereiopods: one side is long and thin and the other is short but str ...

'' Crosnier, 1988 *''

Heterocarpus hostilis ''Heterocarpus'' is a genus of deep-sea shrimp, mainly of tropical areas all over the world. Description ''Heterocarpus'' is characterised by the highly unequal second pair of pereiopods: one side is long and thin and the other is short but str ...

'' Faxon, 1893 *''

Heterocarpus laevigatus ''Heterocarpus'' is a genus of deep-sea shrimp, mainly of tropical areas all over the world. Description ''Heterocarpus'' is characterised by the highly unequal second pair of pereiopods: one side is long and thin and the other is short but str ...

'' Bate, 1888 *''

Heterocarpus lepidus ''Heterocarpus'' is a genus of deep-sea shrimp, mainly of tropical areas all over the world. Description ''Heterocarpus'' is characterised by the highly unequal second pair of pereiopods: one side is long and thin and the other is short but str ...

'' De Man, 1917 *'' Heterocarpus longirostris'' McGilchrist, 1905 *''

Heterocarpus neisi ''Heterocarpus'' is a genus of deep-sea shrimp, mainly of tropical areas all over the world. Description ''Heterocarpus'' is characterised by the highly unequal second pair of pereiopods: one side is long and thin and the other is short but str ...

'' Burukovsky, 1986 *''

Heterocarpus oryx ''Heterocarpus'' is a genus of deep-sea shrimp, mainly of tropical areas all over the world. Description ''Heterocarpus'' is characterised by the highly unequal second pair of pereiopods: one side is long and thin and the other is short but str ...

'' A. Milne-Edwards, 1881 *'' Heterocarpus parvispina'' Crosnier, 1988 *'' Heterocarpus reedi'' Bahamondi, 1955 *'' Heterocarpus sibogae'' De Man, 1917 *''

Heterocarpus signatus ''Heterocarpus'' is a genus of deep-sea Caridea, shrimp, mainly of tropical areas all over the world. Description ''Heterocarpus'' is characterised by the highly unequal second pair of pereiopods: one side is long and thin and the other is shor ...

'' Rathbun, 1906 *'' Heterocarpus tenuidentatus'' Crosnier, 2006 *''

Heterocarpus tricarinatus ''Heterocarpus'' is a genus of deep-sea Caridea, shrimp, mainly of tropical areas all over the world. Description ''Heterocarpus'' is characterised by the highly unequal second pair of pereiopods: one side is long and thin and the other is shor ...

'' Alcock & Anderson, 1894 *'' Heterocarpus unicarinatus'' Borradeile, 1915 *'' Heterocarpus woodmasoni'' Alcock, 1901 *''

Heterocarpus vicarius ''Heterocarpus'' is a genus of deep-sea shrimp, mainly of tropical areas all over the world. Description ''Heterocarpus'' is characterised by the highly unequal second pair of pereiopods: one side is long and thin and the other is short but str ...

'' Faxon, 1893

Ecology

Many ''Heterocarpus'' shrimp are known for using

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 ...

as a defense, spitting it on

predator Predation is a biological interaction where one organism, the predator, kills and eats another organism, its prey. It is one of a family of common feeding behaviours that includes parasitism and micropredation (which usually do not kill th ...

s. Studies about their feeding habits, and the fact that they may be found in the stomach contents of some pelagic

shark Sharks are a group of elasmobranch fish characterized by a cartilaginous skeleton, five to seven gill slits on the sides of the head, and pectoral fins that are not fused to the head. Modern sharks are classified within the clade Selachimo ...

s and other fishes is interpreted as they have benthic habits, but they do migrations to the

water column A water column is a conceptual column of water from the surface of a sea, river or lake to the bottom sediment.Munson, B.H., Axler, R., Hagley C., Host G., Merrick G., Richards C. (2004).Glossary. ''Water on the Web''. University of Minnesota-D ...

at night. Some species of this genus have high

fishery Fishery can mean either the enterprise of raising or harvesting fish and other aquatic life; or more commonly, the site where such enterprise takes place ( a.k.a. fishing ground). Commercial fisheries include wild fisheries and fish farms, both ...

potential, such as ''H. reedi'' and ''H. laevigatus''.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q3932367 Caridea