I sent my mystery shrimp photos to Mary Wicksten, biology professor at Texas A&M. She is the expert on shrimp ID and is currently writing a book about them. Here is her reply.
Phil: You hit the jackpot! This almost surely is Alpheopsis equidactylus, described back in the 1880's but only known from a handful of specimens, all very dead and bleached. Yours is the only photo I know of in life. I had to re-illustrate it by pen and ink recently because the only illustration was a crude and inaccurate sketch of one pincer. Where did you shoot this guy?
The color marks may be species-specific but since nobody has ever noted the living color, I can't say for sure. Note that it has two lobster-like front pincers, with a groove running along the length and a slight notch before the movable finger. It's related to snapping shrimps but cannot snap. Mary Wicksten
Even Kevin doesnt have this one! Any ideas?
Phil: You hit the jackpot! This almost surely is Alpheopsis equidactylus, described back in the 1880's but only known from a handful of specimens, all very dead and bleached. Yours is the only photo I know of in life. I had to re-illustrate it by pen and ink recently because the only illustration was a crude and inaccurate sketch of one pincer. Where did you shoot this guy?
The color marks may be species-specific but since nobody has ever noted the living color, I can't say for sure. Note that it has two lobster-like front pincers, with a groove running along the length and a slight notch before the movable finger. It's related to snapping shrimps but cannot snap. Mary Wicksten
From: Phil Garner <Pacificcoast101@yahoo.com>
Date: Mon, 23 Apr 2012 14:45:06 -0700
To: Mary Wicksten <wicksten@bio.tamu.edu>
Subject: Shrimp I.D. help
Date: Mon, 23 Apr 2012 14:45:06 -0700
To: Mary Wicksten <wicksten@bio.tamu.edu>
Subject: Shrimp I.D. help
Even Kevin doesnt have this one! Any ideas?
