Synalpheus paraneomeris Coutière, 1905
Synalpheus paraneomeris is an Indo-West Pacific and Indian Ocean snapping shrimp first described from Maldives and the Laccadives by Coutiere (1905). This is one of the most common species of Synalpheus collected in the Indian Ocean and the Indo-West Pacific, and like other members of the genera Alpheus and Synalpheus, S. paraneomeris is known for its distinctive snapping behavior. For more details, see ABRS (2009): http://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/abrs/online-resources/fauna/a....
Synalpheus paraneomeris was described by Coutiere (1905) from several localities: Goidu Atoll, Maldive Islands; Laccadives; Djibouti, Gulf of Aden; Gulf of Oman; Seychelles (ABRS 2009). For additional descriptions, see Banner and Banner (1975), Chace (1988), Banner and Banner (1983).
This is one of the most common species of Synalpheus collected in the Indian Ocean and the Indo-West Pacific, and several authors have documented substantial intraspecific variability in the group (Coutiere 1909, Banner 1953, Banner and Banner 1975, 1983). Like other members of the genera Alpheus and Synalpheus, S. paraneomeris is known for its distinctive snapping behavior; Au and Banks (1998) studied the acoustics of snapping in S. paraneomeris.
This species has been collected from dead coral heads to 126 m depth (Banner and Banner 1975, Chace 1988).
Maximum body size is 5 mm (carapace length) (Chace 1988). Banner and Banner (1975) remarked on the large degree of intraspecific variability in this species, as evidenced by the large numbers of varieties and subspecies described by Coutiere (1909) and by de Man (see Synonomies). This species is morphologically very similar to the West Atlantic species Synalpheus townsendi (see Coutiere 1909). Color varies; Banner (1953) reported an olive brown to grey body, with individuals living in heads of Pocillipora spp. tend to be reddish; Banner and Banner (1975) discuss earlier records noting greenish body and appendages, with fingertips and eggs green.
Synalpheus sluiteri (de Man 1920; see Banner and Banner 1985); Synalpheus paraneomeris halmaherensis (de Man 1909); Synalpheus paraneomeris praedabundus (de Man 1909); Synalpheus paraneomeris prolatus (Coutiere 1909, de Man 1911); Synalpheus paraneomeris prasalini (Coutiere 1921); Synalpheus paraneomeris seychellensis (Coutiere 1921); Synalpheus townsendi (Coutiere 1909); Synalpheus paraneomeris oxygeros (Coutiere 1909).
Indo-West Pacific and Indian Ocean: Maldive archipelago (Coutiere 1905); Indonesia, Australia, Japan, Philippines; Mariana, Caroline, Marshall, Gilbert, Fiji, Samoa, Line, and Hawaiian Islands (Banner and Banner 1975); possibly Japan (Chace 1988).