Gandalfus yunohana is a species of blind crab in the family Bythograeidae found on hydrothermal vents on the eastern edge of the Philippine Sea Plate south of Japan. Because no light penetrates to such depths, the eyes of G. yunohana are immobile and unpigmented.
| Gandalfus yunohana | |
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Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Malacostraca |
| Order: | Decapoda |
| Suborder: | Pleocyemata |
| Infraorder: | Brachyura |
| Family: | Bythograeidae |
| Genus: | Gandalfus |
| Species: | G. yunohana
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| Binomial name | |
| Gandalfus yunohana (Takeda, Hashimoto & Ohta, 2000)
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| Synonyms | |
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Austinograea yunohana Takeda, Hashimoto & Ohta, 2000 | |
Description edit
Males have a carapace up to 41.9 mm × 26.9 mm (1.6 in × 1.1 in) across, while females are larger, at 50.5 mm × 32.5 mm (2.0 in × 1.3 in).[1] The eyes are immobile and unpigmented.[1]
Taxonomy and etymology edit
The species was originally described as Austinograea yunohana in 2000.[2] It was transferred in 2007 by New Zealand marine biologist and carcinologist Colin McLay to his new genus, Gandalfus, named after the character Gandalf from The Lord of the Rings.[1]
Distribution edit
Gandalfus zunohana is found on hydrothermal vents on the eastern edge of the Philippine Sea Plate south of Japan.[2] It lives at shallower depths than other members of the family Bythograeidae, at 420–1,380 m (1,380–4,530 ft).[1]
References edit
- ^ a b c d Colin McLay (2007). "New crabs from hydrothermal vents of the Kermadec Ridge submarine volcanoes, New Zealand: Gandalfus gen. nov. (Bythograeidae) and Xenograpsus (Varunidae) (Decapoda: Brachyura)" (PDF). Zootaxa. 1524: 1–22.
- ^ a b Takeda, Masatsune; Hashimoto, Jun; Ohta, S. (2000). "A New Species of the Family Bythograidae (Crustacea, Decapoda, Brachyura) from the Hydrothermal Vents along Volcanic Front of the Philippine Sea Plate, フィリピン海プレート東縁の熱水噴出域より得られたユノハナガニ科の新種". Bulletin of the National Science Museum. Series A: Zoology (in Japanese). 26 (4): 159–172.
External links edit
Media related to Gandalfus yunohana at Wikimedia Commons
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