Family SOLENOCERIDAE Wood-Mason, 1891

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Regional Maps

• Solenocerinae Wood-Mason, J. 1891. Phylum Appendiculata. Branch Arthropoda. Class Crustacea. In Wood-Mason, J. & Alcock, A., Natural history notes from H.M. Indian marine survey steamer "Investigator", Commander R.F. Hoskyn, R.N., commanding. No. 21. Note on the results of deep sea dredging during the season 1890–91. Annals and Magazine of Natural History 6 8: 269-286 [Date published October 1891] [275] [as Solenocerina; name in the corrected spelling, Solenocerinae, placed on the Official List of Family-Group Names in Zoology, see ICZN (1961)].

  Secondary source:

   International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature 1961. Opinion 611. Parapenaeus S.I. Smith, 1885 (Crustacea, Decapoda); validation under the Plenary Powers and interpretation of Peneus membranaceus Risso, 1816. Bulletin of Zoological Nomenclature 18(5): 306-308.

Introduction

The Solenoceridae mostly inhabit offshore waters ranging from the mid-continental shelf to the oceanic floor (from several hundred to over 1000 metres), but a number of Solenocera species and Pleoticus muelleri from the West Atlantic may be found in shallower waters. All genera, except Pleoticus, are known from Australian waters. Dall (1999) revised Australian solenocerids and provided keys to all genera and to the Indo-west Pacific species. Earlier works dealing specifically with Australian taxa include those of Grey et al. (1983), Kensley et al. (1987), Pérez Farfante & Grey (1980), and Pérez Farfante & Kensley (1985).

The most important diagnostic features are: the presence of a post-orbital spine; the cervical sulcus reaching to, or almost to, the mid-dorsum; the long antennular flagella; and a spur-like projection on the outer side of the basal segment of the appendix masculina.

Diagnosis

Rostrum laterally compressed, usually shorter than antennular peduncle, mostly with more than three dorsal teeth; ventral teeth usually absent, but if present, restricted to tip. Antennular flagella usually longer than peduncle, often longer than carapace. Prosartema variable, usually prominent, sometimes reduced to a small lobe; ocular scale present, but sometimes poorly developed. Cervical sulcus well defined, reaching or nearly reaching to mid-dorsum of carapace. A postorbital spine (sometimes termed postantennal spine) and a hepatic spine always present; antennal spine usually present, other carapace spines variable. Abdomen wholly or partially carinate. Telson with two fixed subapical spines, occasionally with movable lateral spines as well; very rarely without spines. Exopods present on thoracic somites 1–7, in some genera on 8 as well, those on the pereiopods sometimes reduced. Petasma tubular and simple; appendix masculina with two endites and with a projection on outer side of basal segment; thelycum open, often a simple basin shape. Pleurobranchs on thoracic somites 3–8; usually with a single arthrobranch, but sometimes two, which may be small or rudimentary on somite 1; two well-developed arthrobranchs on somites 2–7; a podobranch on somite 2, except in Haliporus where they are on 2 and 3, sometimes with very small or rudimentary podobranchs on 4–6; epipods on 1–7. (After Dall 1999).

General References

Dall, W. 1999. Australian species of Solenoceridae (Penaeoidea: Decapoda). Memoirs of the Queensland Museum 43(2): 553-587

Grey, D.L., Dall, W. & Baker, A. 1983. A Guide to the Australian Penaeid Prawns. Darwin : Northern Territory Government Printing Office 140 pp. 51 colour pls.

Kensley, B., Tranter, H.A. & Griffin, D.J.G. 1987. Deepwater Decapod Crustacea from Eastern Australia (Penaeidae and Caridea). Records of the Australian Museum 39: 263-331

Pérez Farfante, I. & Grey, D.L. 1980. A new species of Solenocera (Crustacea: Decapoda: Solenoceridae) from Northern Australia. Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington 93(2): 421-434

Pérez Farfante, I. & Kensley, B. 1985. Cryptopenaeus crosnieri, a new species of shrimp, and a new record of C. sinensis (Penaeoidea: Solenoceridae) from Australian waters. Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington 98(1): 281-287

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