Alvinocarididae

Alvinocarididae is a family of shrimp, originally described by M. L. Christoffersen in 1986 from samples collected by DSV Alvin, from which they derive their name. Shrimp of the family Alvinocarididae generally inhabit deep sea hydrothermal vent regions, and hydrocarbon cold seep environments. Carotenoid pigment has been found in their bodies. The family Alvinocarididae comprises 7 extant genera.

==Species== ===Alvinocaris=== Alvinocaris alexander Ahyong, 2009 – South Pacific Ocean, southern Kermadec ridge, Rumble V seamount (at depths of ) and Brothers Caldera (at depths of ) hydrothermal vent fields. A. alexander closely resembles A. williamsi from the Menez Gwen site on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge Alvinocaris brevitelsonis Kikuchi & Hashimoto, 2000 – West Pacific Ocean, Mid-Okinawa Trough , at a depth of . Alvinocaris dissimilis Komai & Segonzac, 2005 – West Pacific Ocean, Mid-Okinawa Trough; recognised among the paratypes of A. brevitelsonis. Alvinocaris komaii Zelnio & Hourdez, 2009 – West Pacific Ocean, Eastern Lau Spreading Centre, hydrothermal vents, at depths of . A. komaii is common among chemoautotrophic mussel, Bathymodiolus brevior. Alvinocaris longirostris Kikuchi & Ohta, 1995 – West Pacific Ocean, Okinawa Trough, Iheya Ridge, Clam and Pyramid hydrothermal vent fields, Sagami Bay seeps, seamounts of Kermadec Ridge off New Zealand; Type locality: West Pacific Ocean, Okinawa Trough, Iheya Ridge, Clam hydrothermal vent field Alvinocaris lusca Williams & Chace, 1982 – East Pacific Ocean, Galapagos Rift and vent fields on the East Pacific Rise at 9° N and 13° N, at depths of ; Type locality: East Pacific Ocean, Galapagos rift. A. lusca is the only species represented in the East Pacific Ocean. Alvinocaris markensis Williams, 1988 – North Atlantic Ocean, Snake Pit, TAG, Logatchev, Broken Spur hydrothermal vent fields of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge (MAR); Type locality: North Atlantic Ocean, mid-Atlantic ridge, Snake Pit hydrothermal vent field. Alvinocaris methanophila Komai, Shank & Van Dover, 2005 – North-western Atlantic Ocean, Blake Ridge Diapir , at a depth of ; similar to A. muricola; associated with mussel beds. Alvinocaris muricola Williams, 1988 – Cold Seeps, Gulf of Guinea possibly Blake Ridge cold seep and Barbados Accrectionary Prism; Type locality: Gulf of Mexico, west Florida escarpment, from cold brine seep, , at a depth of . Alvinocaris niwa Webber, 2004 – Brothers Caldera and Rumble V seamount, south Kermadec Ridge; Type locality: South Pacific Ocean, south Kermadec ridge, Brothers Caldera. Alvinocaris stactophila Williams 1988 – Gulf of Mexico, Bush Hill hydrocarbon seep, , at a depth of . Alvinocaris williamsi Shank & Martin, 2003 – North Atlantic Ocean, mid-Atlantic ridge, Menez Gwen hydrothermal vent field, , at a depth of .