Alpheus (crustacean)
| Alpheus | |
|---|---|
| Alpheus digitalis | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Malacostraca |
| Order: | Decapoda |
| Suborder: | Pleocyemata |
| Infraorder: | Caridea |
| Family: | Alpheidae |
| Genus: | Alpheus Fabricius, 1798 |
| Type species | |
| Alpheus avarus Fabricius, 1798 (nomen dubium)
| |
| Species | |
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See species list | |
| Synonyms | |
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List
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Alpheus is a genus of snapping shrimp of the family Alpheidae. This genus contains in excess of 330 species, making this the most species-rich genus of shrimp, although the genus is unlikely to be a natural grouping (monophyletic) as phylogenetic analyses have recovered other alpheid genera within this genus.
Like other snapping shrimp, the claws of Alpheus are asymmetrical, with one of the claws enlarged for making a popping noise. Some species in the genus have symbiotic relationships with gobiid fishes, others with sea anemones, echiurans, and sponges.