CHOROCARIS CHACEI (WILLIAMS & RONA, 1986)

Type locality: North Atlantic Ocean, MAR, TAG vent field; 26°08.3′N, 44°49.6′W; 3620–3650 m.

Known range: North Atlantic Ocean, MAR, Snake Pit (23°N), TAG (26°N), Lucky Strike (37°17′N) and Logatchev vent fields (Williams & Rona, 1986; Martin & Hessler, 1990; Segonzac et al., 1993; Shank, 1997, in Desbruyères & Segonzac, 1997: 193; Gebruk et al., 2000a; Turnipseed et al., 2004).

Material: type locality; NOAA VENTS Program, R / V Researcher; 3 August 1985; dredge haul; USNM 228452 (holotype, female), USNM 228453 (paratypes, 1 female), USNM 228524 (6 juveniles) (Williams & Rona, 1986).

–Snake Pit hydrothermal vent field, Les Ruches site; 23°22′N, 44°56′W; HYDROSNAKE, Nautile dives 08 and 10, cruise (Segonzac, de Saint Laurent & Casanova, 1993).

– North Atlantic Ocean; JOIDES, DV Resolution, leg 106, site 649, Hole 649H; 23°22.160′N, 44°57.072′W; 3522 m; 17 December 1985; USNM 228526 (19 juvenile females) (Williams, 1987, as Rimicaris chacei).

– North Atlantic Ocean, MAR, Lucky Strike hydrothermal vent site; Alvin dive 2607; non-type, 1 specimen (Martin, Signorovitch & Patel, 1998b).

Remarks: Originally described as Rimicaris chacei by Williams & Rona (1986), this species was transferred to the genus Chorocaris by Martin & Hessler (1990). Williams & Rona (1986) indicated that one juvenile specimen would be sent to each of the following institutions: LACM, MCZ, BMNH, RMNH, MNHN. Shank (1997, in Desbruyères & Segonzac, 1997) commented on the ecology of this species as compared with the sympatric and numerically dominant Rimicaris exoculata. Casanova et al. (1993) and Segonzac et al. (1993) described feeding morphology and behaviour in this species, and Lakin et al. (1997) described the morphology of the eye. Carotenoid pigments were analysed by Nègre-Sadargues et al. (2000). The organ of Bellonci and sinus gland were described by Charmantier-Daures & Segonzac (1998). Vereshchaka et al. (2000) studied carbon and nitrogen composition. Martin et al. (1998b) examined the carpal cleaning brush of this species in comparison with that of other vent shrimp species. The species was listed by Desbruyères et al. (2000: table 4) as rare/patchy but at the same time a dominant species on chimneys and walls at Lucky Strike and on chimney bases at Snake Pit, TAG, Rainbow and Menez Gwen.