Synalpheus rathbunae Coutière, 1909
Synalpheus rathbunae is one of at least six described "eusocial" snapping shrimp in the Gambarelloides species complex within the genus Synalpheus. S. rathbunae lives in large, sex-skewed colonies in Caribbean sponges, consisting of one (or a few) breeding females and typically 10-100+ non-breeding workers. Molecular work suggests that eusociality evolved independently at least three times in this group. S. rathbunae has been known to engage in "coordinated snapping" to repel intruders from their sponge host (Toth and Duffy 2005).
Synalpheus rathbunae is a member of the Gambarelloides species group within the genus Synalpheus. Named after Miss Mary J. Rathbun, of the U.S. National Museum Type locality: St. Thomas, Virgin Islands (Coutiere 1909), types stored at the National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution (USNM). Type: USNM 38410.
Synalpheus rathbunae lives primarily in the interior canals of sponges (phylum Porifera) in and around coral reefs. S. rathbunae has been known to engage in 'coordinated snapping' to repel introders from their sponge host (Toth and Duffy 2005).
Associate of sponges (phylum Porifera), primarily the sponge species Xestospongia rosariensis (Morrison et al. 2004, Toth and Duffy 2005).
Like several other species in the genus Synalpheus, Synalpheus rathbunae exhibits eusocial population structure (defined here as living in large colonies with a single breeding female). Although determining sex of non-breeding colony members can be difficult, recent work has show that these individuals typically consist of equal numbers of males and females (Toth and Bauer 2007).
Zuzalpheus rathbunae (Rios and Duffy 2007).
Synalpheus elizabethae is one of at least six described eusocial Synalpheus species in the Gambarelloides species group. Eusociality is thought to have evolved at least three times in this group, and it is a model system for examining the evolution of eusociality in the sea (Morrison et al. 2004).
Sequenced in Morrison et al. 2004 (as rathPA01); sequences available in GenBank for 16S mtDNA (AY344767 ) and COI mtDNA (AY344716).
Western Atlantic: Virgin Islands (Coutière, 1909); Yucatan Peninsula (Chace, 1972): San Blas (Morrison et al. 2004) and Bocas del Toro (Toth and Duffy 2005), Caribbean Panama.