Descrizione

Berlin, R. Friedländer, 1890. 4to (33.4 x 27.1 cm). Title pages, viii, 158 pp.; seven fine, large, folded lithographed plates, with explanatory text leaves. Original printed wrappers. = Important monograph on the crustacean family Caprellidae in the Mediterranean Sea. Caprellids are amphipods commonly known as skeleton shrimps. Their common name denotes the threadlike slender body which allows them to virtually disappear among the fine filaments of seaweed, hydroids and bryozoans. They are sometimes also known as ghost shrimps. Caprellidae contains 88 genera in three subfamilies (Wikipedia). Many taxa are redescribed, some are new. The plates are mostly morphological, showing the taxonomically important parts of the external anatomy. The author, Paul Mayer (1848-1923) was a German zoologist, specialized in Caprellidae. He worked as an assistant at Stazione Zoologica in Naples, but, for instance, also treated skeleton shrimps collected during the Siboga Expedition. Uncut. Wrappers and facing first title verso a bit spotted, otherwise a fine clean copy. Very rare, especially in such a good state. Nissen ZBI, 2749.