Bythograeidae
Encyclopedia
Bythograeidae is a small family of crab
s which live around hydrothermal vent
s. The family contains 14 species in 6 genera. Their relationships to other crabs are unclear. They are believed to eat bacteria
and other vent organisms.
Crab
True crabs are decapod crustaceans of the infraorder Brachyura, which typically have a very short projecting "tail" , or where the reduced abdomen is entirely hidden under the thorax...
s which live around hydrothermal vent
Hydrothermal vent
A hydrothermal vent is a fissure in a planet's surface from which geothermally heated water issues. Hydrothermal vents are commonly found near volcanically active places, areas where tectonic plates are moving apart, ocean basins, and hotspots. Hydrothermal vents exist because the earth is both...
s. The family contains 14 species in 6 genera. Their relationships to other crabs are unclear. They are believed to eat bacteria
Bacteria
Bacteria are a large domain of prokaryotic microorganisms. Typically a few micrometres in length, bacteria have a wide range of shapes, ranging from spheres to rods and spirals...
and other vent organisms.
Species
- Genus Allograea Guinot, Hurtado & Vrijenhoek, 2002
- Allograea tomentosa Guinot, Hurtado & Vrijenhoek, 2002
- Genus Austinopraea Hessler & Martin, 1989
- Austinograea alayseae Guinot, 1990
- Austinograea rodriguezensis Tsuchida & Hashimoto, 2002
- Austinograea williamsi Hessler & Martin, 1989
- Genus Bythograea Williams, 1980
- Bythograea galapagensis Guinot & Hurtado, 2003
- Bythograea intermedia Saint Laurent, 1988
- Bythograea laubieri Guinot & Segonzac, 1997
- Bythograea microps Saint Laurent, 1984
- Bythograea thermydron Williams, 1980
- Bythograea vrijenhoeki Guinot & Hurtado, 2003
- Genus Cyanagraea Saint Laurent, 1984
- Cyanagraea praedator Saint Laurent, 1984
- Genus Gandalfus McLay, 2007
- Gandalfus puia McLay, 2007
- Gandalfus yunohanaGandalfus yunohanaGandalfus yunohana is a species of crab.G. yunohana is found on hydrothermal vents on the eastern edge of the Philippine Sea Plate south of Japan. It lives at shallower depths than other members of the family Bythograeidae, at . Because no light penetrates to such depths, the eyes of G...
(Takeda, Hashimoto & Ohta, 2000)
- Genus Segonzacia Guinot, 1989
- Segonzacia mesatlantica (Williams, 1988)