| Abstract |
"Kick'em Jenny" is a submerged active volcano located in the southeastern Caribbean off the island of Grenada. It is the southernmost active volcano, and the only active submerged volcano, in the Lesser Antilles volcanic arc. In 2003, an expedition to the volcano returned several specimens of caridean and penaeoidean shrimp collected at depths of approximately 260 m. The specimens represented three species, two oplophorids (Janicella spinicauda and Oplophorus gracilirostris) and one sergestid (Sergia sp., close to S. robusta). The latter is the first penaeoid shrimp recorded from the vicinity of any hydrothermal vent system. Interestingly, many of the shrimp were found immobile, lying on their side on the floor of the submerged volcano's caldera. All three species are known members of the mesopelagic community, raising the possibility (explored in a separate paper by Wishner et al., submitted) that they were killed or entrapped by the toxic volcanic gases in the water column. All three species are thus considered vagrants (sensu Martin & Haney, submitted) rather than vent endemics, as there are no obvious indications that any of the three species is modified for life at underwater hydrothermal regions. |
