◆Research findings by a group led by Professor Yukio Itani of the Kuroshio Zone Integrated Science Program have been published online in the British international academic journal *Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom*
Release Date:
A Classification of the Symbiotic Association Between the Hidden Pistol Shrimp and the Anajako, First Recorded in Japan
[Overview]
A joint research group led by Professor Yuki Itani of the Department of Kuroshio Area Integrated Sciences, Graduate School of Integrated Human and Natural Sciences, Kochi University, and Assistant Professor Yumi Henmi of the Center for Field Science Education and Research at Kyoto University—a graduate of the same department— collected five specimens of Betaeus levifrons, a species of pistol shrimp recorded for the first time in Japan, and proposed the Japanese name “Kakure-teppou-ebi-modoki” (Hidden Pistol Shrimp).Although this species had previously been confirmed only in Russia’s Gulf of Peter the Great and was thought to be endemic to the Sea of Japan, this is the first time it has been recorded on the Pacific coast.
This species was discovered inside the burrows of the crustacean Upogebia major, which lives in sandy-muddy substrates. Furthermore, this study documented individual variation in body coloration, the breeding season, and sequence data for portions of mitochondrial DNA (the 16S rRNA and COI regions), providing data that aids in species identification and understanding of phylogenetic relationships.Furthermore, we have compiled findings regarding the biota symbiotic within the burrows of the host, the Upogebia major.
These findings were published online on July 15, 2025, in the British international academic journal *Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom*.
[Future Ripple Effects]
In addition to free-living species, the genus Pseudo-pistola includes species that form symbiotic relationships with a wide variety of invertebrates, such as sea urchins, crabs, abalones, polychaetes, and fan crabs. While the diversification of marine ecology and the evolution of symbiotic relationships are extremely fascinating topics, we expect that research using the genus Pseudo-pistola will yield valuable insights.
[Paper Information]
Title: The first record of Betaeus levifrons (Decapoda: Caridea: Alpheidae) from the Pacific Coast of Japan, with remarks on symbiosis with Upogebia major
: First record of the pistol shrimp Betaeus levifrons from the Pacific coast of Japan and a review of the symbiotic relationships with Upogebia major
Authors: Yumi Henmi and Gyo Itani
Published in: Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom