“Remarkable Shrimps: Adaptations and Natural History of the Carideans.” Raymond T. Bauer, March 2004. 316 pages, 109 figures, 3 half-tone and 8 color plates, 7 tables. University of Oklahoma Press. ISBN 0-8061-3555-7, $59.95 (hardback).

The over 2800 species of caridean shrimps occur in a variety of marine and freshwater habitats from tropical to polar regions. Their morphological and ecological diversity encompasses a wide array of adaptations in body form and function, coloration, breeding biology, mating behavior, life histories, and symbiotic relationships with other invertebrates and fishes. Some groups are important in regional and global fisheries and aquaculture. The unique set of adaptations that characterize caridean shrimps are described and illustrated, with comparisons to other crustaceans termed “shrimps.” The form and use of caridean body parts and appendages are compared among the various families with emphasis on their function in the natural environment. “Family Profiles” are given for each of the nearly 30 caridean families, each profile including the unique adaptations and lifestyles of that family.

Carideans are fastidious animals, and their many grooming and other antifouling adaptations are revealed. The way in which camouflage is achieved via coloration is described, and its role as an anti-predator defense is analyzed. The basic breeding biology of these shrimps is covered, including gamete production, “breeding dress,” mating, spawning, and female incubation of embryos. Variations in sexual systems, including hermaphroditism and sex change, are reviewed. Sex attraction and recognition, pheromones, mating behavior and strategies, and other aspects of sexuality are compared among different carideans and related to differences in sexual dimorphism and life history. Life history traits, such as larval development, fecundity, and seasonality of reproduction are compared among taxa in different habitats and latitudes.

Many caridean species live in association with other invertebrate species, such as corals, sea anemones, sea urchins, and fishes, and these remarkable commensalistic and mutualistic symbioses are presented and analyzed. Different hypotheses about the evolutionary history of caridean families, from the origin of a caridean ancestor to its radiation into the numerous caridean families, are compared and evaluated. The facts and figures of food production and fishing techniques for caridean species are presented. The caridean contribution to global fisheries and aquaculture is analysed in terms of life history traits, and future prospects for economic utilization of carideans are discussed.

The book can be ordered from OU Press online ( http://www.oupress.com ), by telephone (800-627-7377 or 405-325-2000), fax (800-735-0476 or 405-364-5798), or mail (University of Oklahoma Press, 4100 28th Avenue N.W., Norman, OK 73069-8218).