Contributions to the Knowledge of the Alpheid Shrimp 
of the Pacific Ocean, IX 
Collections from the Phoenix and Line Islands 1 
Albert H. and Dora May Banner 2 
This paper initiates a series of three studies in 
the continuing series on the alpheids from the 
central Pacific that are based primarily upon 
collections made under the auspices of the Be.t 
nice P. Bishop Museum. In 1954 the senior 
author received a travel grant from the Bernice 
P. Bishop Museum and Yale University that 
permitted him to collect alpheids from wide 
areas in the central Pacific. The grant was made 
as part of the tri-institution program ( TRIPP ) 
of those two institutions and the University of 
Hawaii for the increase of scientific knowledge 
of the Pacific. 
While collecting under the grant the Phoenix, 
Fiji, Tonga, Samoa, Cook, and Society archipela- 
goes were visited. In each group of islands the 
marine environment was sampled as thoroughly 
as possible,- -with windward and lee reefs, lagoon, 
and ocean habitats being examined. Wherever 
possible a rough transect was taken across the 
reef to the depths that could be reached by effec- 
tive skin diving. Often, however, difficulties in 
transportation interfered with the collecting 
scheme. For example, it was impossible in the 
time available to reach the low islands in the 
Fijian Archipelago, or the Tuamotus. Moreover, 
strong winds and surf at times rendered collect- 
ing on the outer side of the ocean reef too 
dangerous. This occurred, for example, at Canton 
in the Phoenix Archipelago and at Tongatabu in 
Tonga. 
Specimens from other collections have sup- 
plemented the collections made under the grant. 
In addition to the Bishop Museum- — Yale 
University grant mentioned above, this study 
was supported in part by a series of grants from 
’■Contribution No. 201, Hawaii Marine Laboratory. 
Manuscript received April 25, 1962. 
2 Department of Zoology and Entomology, Univer- 
sity of Hawaii, Honolulu, Hawaii. 
the National Science Foundation (NSF-G-1754, 
3863, and 9937). 
As reported in Part VIII of this series, the 
specimens upon which this study is based were 
lost in a fire at the Hawaii Marine Laboratory. 
This paper is the one referred to as being held 
at the Bishop Museum at the time of the fire. 
ENVIRONMENT DATA 
Canton Island is an atoll in the Phoenix 
Group that lies at 2° 50' S and 171° 43' W; it 
is about 9 miles long by 4 miles wide, with an 
extensive and deep lagoon opening to the ocean 
only through a narrow passage on the western 
side. Rainfall is slight and there is no apparent 
runoff, even by seepage, unless during rare 
periods of torrential rains. All collections were 
made in the period from 27 February to 5 
March 1954. 
Description of Stations 
Stations 1-9 were taken on the sandy edge of 
the western side of the lagoon near a deserted 
military pier where living and dead coral heads 
were scattered. 
BC 1. Solid head of coral; 3 ft deep. 
BC 2. Partially dead head of Pocillopora sp.; 
3 ft deep. 
BC 3- Solid but unattached head of dead 
coral; 3 ft deep. 
BC 4. Massive head of dead coral covered 
with a thick algal mat; 3 ft deep. Some of the 
shrimp were in holes in coral under the mat, 
but more were living in the mat. 
BC 5. Almost dead head of Pocillopora sp.; 
3 ft deep. 
BC 6. Massive and solid head; 3 ft deep. 
BC 7. Heads of ramulose Acropora sp., with 
dead bases containing many openings and 
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