Palaemonidae is a family of shrimp in the order Decapoda. Many species are carnivores that eat small invertebrates, and can be found in any aquatic habitat except the deep sea. One significant genus is Macrobrachium, which contains commercially fished species. Others inhabit coral reefs, where they associate with certain invertebrates, such as sponges, cnidarians, mollusks, and echinoderms, as cleaner shrimps, parasites, or commensals. They generally feed on detritus, though some are carnivores and hunt tiny animals.
The family contains more than 1200 species in 160 genera. The genera were formerly split into two subfamilies, but in 2015, molecular and morphological research determined that the subfamily groupings were invalid. At the same time, the members of the families Gnathophyllidae and Hymenoceridae were incorporated into the Palaemonidae.
Genera
The following genera are recognised:
Actinimenes Alburnia Allopontonia Altopontonia Amphipontonia Anapontonia Anchiopontonia Anchistioides Anchistus Ancylocaris Ancylomenes Anisomenaeus Apopontonia Arachnochium Araiopontonia Ascidonia Bahiacaris Balssia Bathymenes Bavaricaris Bechleja Beurlenia Blepharocaris Brachycarpus Brucecaris Bruceonia Cainonia Calathaemon Carinopontonia Chacella Climeniperaeus Colemonia Conchodytes Coralliocaris Coutierea Creaseria Crinotonia Cristimenes Cryphiops Ctenopontonia Cuapetes Dactylonia Dasella Dasycaris Diapontonia Echinopericlimenes Epipontonia Eupontonia Exoclimenella Exopontonia Fennera Gnathophylleptum Gnathophylloides Gnathophyllum Hamiger Hamodactyloides Hamodactylus Hamopontonia Harpiliopsis Harpilius Holthuisaeus Homelys Hymenocera Ischnopontonia Isopontonia Izucaris Jocaste Kaviengella Kellnerius Laomenes Leander Leandrites Leptocarpus Leptomenaeus Leptopalaemon Levicaris Lipkebe Lipkemenes Macrobrachium Madangella Manipontonia Margitonia Mesopontonia Metapontonia Michaelimenes Micropsalis Miopontonia Nematopalaemon Neoanchistus Neoclimenes Neopalaemon Neopericlimenes Neopontonides Nippontonia Notopontonia Odontonia Onycocaridella Onycocaridites Onycocaris Onycomenes Opaepupu Orthopontonia Palaemon Palaemonella Paraclimenaeus Paraclimenes Paranchistus Parapalaemonetes Paratypton Patonia Periclimenaeus Periclimenella Periclimenes Periclimenoides Philarius Phycomenes Phyllognathia Pinnotherotonia Platycaris Platypontonia Plesiomenaeus Plesiopontonia Pliopontonia Pontonia Pontonides Pontoniopsides Pontoniopsis Poripontonia Propalaemon Propontonia Pseudocaridinella Pseudoclimenes Pseudocoutierea Pseudopalaemon Pseudopontonia Pseudopontonides Pseudoveleronia Pycnocaris Rapimenes Rapipontonia Rhopalaemon Rostronia Sandimenes Sandyella Schmelingia Stegopontonia Tectopontonia Tenuipedium Thaumastocaris Troglindicus Troglocubanus Troglomexicanus Tuleariocaris Typton Typtonoides Typtonomenaeus Typtonychus Unesconia Unguicaris Urocaridella Urocaris Veleronia Veleroniopsis Vir Waldola Yemenicaris Yongjicaris Zenopontonia Zoukaris
Some of the genera were formerly placed in the family Gnathophyllidae, which is no longer recognized. These shrimp were often associated with echinoderms, and consisted of about 14 species in five genera: Gnathophylleptum d'Udekem d'Acoz, 2001 Gnathophylloides Schmitt, 1933 Gnathophyllum Latreille, 1819 Levicaris Bruce, 1973 Pycnocaris Bruce, 1972
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