This volume is the fourth of a series of handbooks on America crabs; the others are United States National Museum Bulletins 97, 129, and 152, on grapsoid, spider, and cancroid crabs, respectively.
Among the deep-sea marine invertebrates, pycnogonids and crustaceans represent ecologically important and most diverse groups of species. Yet both are still poorly understood. Sampling and exploring operations off the west and east coast of the Americas has significantly increased in the last two decades. However such operations are very costly and limited in number and frequency. In countries like Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Mexico, Peru, the United States of America, and El Salvador a large effort has been made to explore the deep-sea resources and the rich diversity of the communities, resulting in a better understanding of the natural ecosystems on both coasts of America. Pycnogonids and many groups of deep-sea crustaceans have been intensively studied, from the smallest animals, like the mostly unknown benthic copepods to the largest decapods. This book presents new and updated information on various groups of deep-sea pycnogonids and crustaceans occurring off the American continent. Offering a valuable reference resource for scientists interested in this fascinating fauna, it includes review papers and new data on the deep-sea communities occurring off the USA, Mexico, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Colombia, Chile, Peru, Brazil and Argentina, as well as in larger areas in both the East Pacific and the West Atlantic. As such it covers most of the current deep-water research in Latin America.
The papers in this volume take several forms, from strict chronologies to detailed historical analyses. Topics covered include: towards the history of pre-Linnean carcinology in Brazil; the beginning of Portugese carcinology; from Oviedo to Rathbun; the development of brachturan crab tascononry in the Neotropics (1535-1937); studies on decapod crustaceans of the Pacific Coast of the United States and Canada; women's contributions to carcinology; reflections on crab research in North America since 1758; carcinology in classical Japanese work.
Decapod crustaceans, shrimps, crabs, prawns and their allies are highly visible and important members of marine environments. They are among the most charismatic of marine animals, inhabiting beaches, rocky shores and the deep sea, hiding under stones, burrowing in the sediment and nestling in among algae and many other microhabitats. However, most are difficult to identify by the specialist and amateur naturalist alike. Marine Decapod Crustacea explains the anatomical features necessary for differentiating taxa and includes diagnoses and identification keys to all 189 families and 2121 genera of marine Decapoda. Many decapods have vivid colours, which are showcased in a selection of spectacular photographs of many representative species. This volume provides an entry to the literature for taxonomists, naturalists, consultants, ecologists, teachers and students wanting to identify local faunas and understand this diverse group
The manual includes an introduction to general classification, an illustrated key, an annotated systematic list, a selected bibliography and a systematic index to the marine decapod crustaceans of the inshore and continental shelf waters of the northeastern United States.