The largest ghost shrimps ever: evidence from the fossil record and implications for the maximum size estimate of callianassoid burrowing ghost shrimps
Callianassoid burrowing ghost shrimps are mostly small animals, with a total length (from the tip of the rostrum to the end of the tailfan) typically not exceeding a few centimetres. Representatives of some species in the families Anacalliacidae, Callianassidae, Callichiridae, Ctenochelidae, an...
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| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Institute of Paleobiology PAS
2025-03-01
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| Series: | Acta Palaeontologica Polonica |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.app.pan.pl/archive/published/app70/app011122023.pdf |
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| Summary: | Callianassoid burrowing ghost shrimps are mostly small animals, with a total length (from the tip of the rostrum to the end
of the tailfan) typically not exceeding a few centimetres. Representatives of some species in the families Anacalliacidae,
Callianassidae, Callichiridae, Ctenochelidae, and possibly also Callianopsidae, however, may grow to relatively large
sizes, reaching 10 and more centimetres in length. The maximum size each of these species can attain remains a mere
estimate because it is difficult to catch ghost shrimps, particularly the large-sized tropical representatives. Since large
individuals have a greater fossilization potential, the ghost shrimp fossil record could contribute to our knowledge
about how large these animals can grow. The largest extant ghost shrimp reported to date is an individual of the species
Glypturus armatus (Callichiridae), with an estimated total length of 175 mm (based on the extrapolation from an isolated
ischium). The existence of even larger animals reaching a total length of approximately 200 mm is documented herein
from the Maastrichtian of Madagascar and the middle Eocene of Hungary, with both fossil individuals belonging to the
genus Karumballichirus (Callichiridae) and appearing to be closely related to the extant Karumballichirus karumba. An
overview of both extant and fossil ghost shrimp species suggests that a total length of 200 mm is rarely, if ever, exceeded
by these animals. We suggest that physiological limits imposed by the specialized burrowing lifestyle might prevent
ghost shrimp from growing any larger. |
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| ISSN: | 1732-2421 |