The Anamixidae are a unique group of amphipod crustaceans that undergo a striking developmental transformation during metamorphosis. Owing to this marked shift in the male's morphology, different developmental stages have been treated as separate taxonomic entities, leading to a confused array of names. James Thomas proposes continued taxonomic study of the representatives of the family that occupy tropical reefs. He has accumulated new collections and borrowed existing museum holdings in preparation for a definitive systematic revision of the group. Descriptive treatment of this group will document a fascinating component of one of the world's most diverse habitats -- tropical reefs. The resulting monograph will help marine ecologists and behavioral biologists in their efforts, and will provide a foundation for evolutionary and biogeographic analyses. Studies such as these open new research avenues toward a better understanding of biodiversity.
