| Synalpheus regalis | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Malacostraca |
| Order: | Decapoda |
| Suborder: | Pleocyemata |
| Infraorder: | Caridea |
| Family: | Alpheidae |
| Genus: | Synalpheus |
| Species: | S. regalis
|
| Binomial name | |
| Synalpheus regalis | |
| Synonyms[2] | |
|
Zuzalpheus regalis (Duffy, 1996) | |
| External image | |
|---|---|
 Images and further information from 'ants', Thailand |
Synalpheus regalis is a species of snapping shrimp that commonly live in sponges in the coral reefs along the tropical West Atlantic.[3][4] They form a prominent component of the diverse marine cryptofauna of the region.[3] For the span of their entire lives, they live in the internal canals of the host sponge, using it as a food resource and shelter.[4] It has been shown that colonies contain over 300 individuals, but only one reproductive female.[5] Also, larger colony members, most of which apparently never breed, defend the colony against heterospecific intruders.[5] This evidence points towards the first known case of eusociality in a marine animal.
The species name "regalis" comes from the Latin regalis which means royal.[3] This likely stems from the structural hierarchy of the colonies in which only a single female produces all of the offspring.
- ^ Sammy De Grave (2012). "Synalpheus regalis Duffy, 1996". WoRMS. World Register of Marine Species. Retrieved October 10, 2012.
- ^ Arthur Anker & Sammy De Grave (2008). "Zuzalpheus Ríos and Duffy, 2007: a junior synonym of Synalpheus Bate, 1888 (Decapoda: Alpheidae)" (PDF). Journal of Crustacean Biology. 28 (4): 735–740. doi:10.1651/07-2969.1.
- ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference
autogenerated564was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ a b Esra Deniz Gumuser. "A marine dwelling eusocial organism: Synalpheus regalis". Connexions. Retrieved 9 October 2012.
- ^ a b J. Emmett Duffy (1996). "Eusociality in a coral-reef shrimp" (PDF). Nature. 381 (6582): 512–514. Bibcode:1996Natur.381..512D. doi:10.1038/381512a0. S2CID 33166806.