Austin Beatty Williams (October 17, 1919 – October 27, 1999) was an American carcinologist, "the acknowledged expert on and leader in studies of the systematics of eastern American decapod crustaceans".
Biography Austin B. Williams was born on October 17, 1919, in Plattsburg, Missouri, the eldest of three children to Oliver Perry Williams and Lucy Sell. He was educated at McPherson College and the University of Kansas, gaining his Ph.D. in 1951. He then worked at the University of North Carolina Institute of Fisheries Research, the University of Illinois, before gaining a position in the systematics laboratory of the National Marine Fisheries Service, based at the Smithsonian Institution. He was married and had one son and two grandchildren. He died of cancer at Falls Church, Virginia, on October 27, 1999.
Work Williams' first scientific paper, published in 1952, described six new species of freshwater crayfish from the Ozark Mountains of Arkansas, Missouri and Oklahoma; he continued to publish until his death in 1999, accruing 118 publications in that time. His most important works include monographs on the marine decapod crustaceans of the Carolinas, on the decapods of the Atlantic coast of the United States, and on the lobsters of the world's oceans. He won several awards, including the Crustacean Society's Excellence in Research Award and the American Fisheries Society's Oscar Elton Sette Award.
Taxa Austin B. Williams described or co-described 101 new taxa of decapod crustaceans, from the rank of subspecies to superfamily (obelisks mark fossil taxa):
Caridea Alvinocaris Williams & Chace, 1982 Alvinocaris lusca Williams & Chace, 1982 Alvinocaris markensis Williams, 1988 Alvinocaris muricola Williams, 1988 Alvinocaris stactophila Williams, 1988 Leptalpheus Williams, 1965 Leptalpheus forceps Williams, 1965 Ogyrides hayi Williams, 1981 Ogyrides limicola Williams, 1955 Opaepele Williams & Dobbs, 1995 Opaepele loihi Williams & Dobbs, 1995 Rimicaris Williams & Rona, 1986 Rimicaris chacei Williams & Rona, 1986 Rimicaris exoculata Williams & Rona, 1986
Astacidea Homarinus Kornfield, Williams & Steneck, 1995 Orconectes eupunctus Williams, 1952 Orconectes meeki brevis Williams, 1952 Orconectes nana Williams, 1952 Orconectes nana marcus Williams, 1952 Orconectes neglectus chaenodactylus Williams, 1952 Orconectes ozarkae Williams, 1952
Axiidea †Axiopsis eximia Kensley & Williams, 1990 Calocaris jenneri Williams, 1974 Calocaris oxypleura Williams, 1974
Gebiidea Aethogebia Williams, 1993 Aethogebia gorei Williams, 1993 Pomatogebia Williams & Ngoc-Ho, 1990 Upogebia acanthops Williams, 1986 Upogebia aestuari Williams, 1993 Upogebia aquilina Williams, 1993 Upogebia baldwini Williams, 1997 Upogebia bermudensis Williams, 1993 Upogebia burkenroadi Williams, 1986 Upogebia careospina Williams, 1993 Upogebia casis Williams, 1993 Upogebia cocosia Williams, 1986 Upogebia coralliflora Williams & Scott, 1989 Upogebia cortesi Williams, 2000 Upogebia dawsoni Williams, 1986 Upogebia felderi Williams, 1993 Upogebia galapagensis Williams, 1986 Upogebia inomissa Williams, 1993 Upogebia jonesi Williams, 1986 Upogebia lepta Williams, 1986 Upogebia maccraryae Williams, 1986 Upogebia macginitieorum Williams, 1986 Upogebia molipollex Williams, 1993 Upogebia omissago Williams, 1993 Upogebia onychion Williams, 1986 Upogebia paraffinis Williams, 1993 Upogebia pillsbury Williams, 1993 Upogebia ramphula Williams, 1986 Upogebia schmitti Williams, 1986 Upogebia spinistipula Williams & Heard, 1991 Upogebia synagelas Williams, 1987 Upogebia tenuipollex Williams, 1986 Upogebia thistlei Williams, 1986 Upogebia toralae Williams & Hernández-Aguilera, 1998 Upogebia vargasae Williams, 1997 Upogebia veleronis Williams, 1986
Anomura Munidopsis alvisca Williams, 1998 Munidopsis glabra Pequegnat & Williams, 1995 Munidopsis granosicorium Williams & Baba, 1990 Munidopsis lentigo Williams & Van Dover, 1983 Munidopsis lignaria Williams & Baba, 1990 Munidopsis marianica Williams & Baba, 1990 Shinkaia Baba & Williams, 1998 Shinkaia crosnieri Baba & Williams, 1998 Uroptychus edisoniscus Baba & Williams, 1998
Brachyura Allactaea Williams, 1974 Allactaea lithorostrata Williams, 1974 Bothromaia Williams & Moffit, 1991 Bothromaia griffini Williams & Moffit, 1991 Bythograeoidea Williams, 1980 Bythograeidae Williams, 1980 Bythograea Williams, 1980 Bythograea mesatlantica Williams, 1988 Bythograea thermydon Williams, 1980 Callinectes similis Williams, 1966 Cyclozodion Williams & Child, 1989 Cyclozodion tuberatum Williams & Child, 1989 Epilobocera wetherbeei Rondríguez & Williams, 1995 Eplumula Williams, 1982 †Heus Bishop & Williams, 2000 †Heus forsteri Bishop & Williams, 2000 Hypsophrys noar Williams, 1974 Latreillia manningi Williams, 1982 Latreillia metanesa Williams, 1982 Menippe adina Williams & Felder, 1986 Mimilambridae Williams, 1979 Mimilambrus Williams, 1979 Mimilambrus wileyi Williams, 1979 †Necrocarcinus olsonorum Bishop & Williams, 1991 Ovalipes stephensoni Williams, 1976 Panopeus austrobesus Williams, 1984 Panopeus margentus Williams & Boschi, 1990 Panopeus meridionalis Williams, 1984 Plagiophthalmus bjorki Bishop & Williams, 2000 Raninella manningi Bishop & Williams, 2000 Rochinia decipiata Williams & Eldgredge, 1994 Stilbomastax Williams, Shaw & Hopkins, 1977
One genus and several species were named by other scientists in honor of Williams. They include: Plesionika williamsi Forest, 1974 – a species of deep-water shrimp Agostocaris williamsi Hart & Manning, 1986 – a species of shrimp from the Caribbean Sea Austinograea williamsi Hessler & Martin, 1989 – a crab from hydrothermal vents; both the genus and the specific epithet commemorate Williams
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