Survival of deep-sea shrimp (Alvinocaris sp.) during decompression and larval hatching at atmospheric pressure.

We report successful larval hatching of deep-sea shrimp after decompression to atmospheric pressure. Three specimens of deep-sea shrimp were collected from an ocean depth of 1157 m at cold-seep sites off Hatsushima Island in Sagami Bay, Japan, using a pressure-stat aquarium system. Phylogenetic analysis of Alvinocaris sp. based on cytochrome c oxidase subunit gene sequences confirmed that these species were a member of the genus Alvinocaris. All 3 specimens survived to reach atmospheric pressure conditions after stepwise 63-day decompression. Two of the specimens contained eggs, which hatched after 10 and 16 days, respectively, of full decompression. Although no molting of the shrimp larvae was observed during 74 days of rearing under atmospheric pressure, the larvae developed conventional dark-adapted eyes after 15 days.