Denton Belk, a founding member of The Crustacean Society, passed away after prolonged illness on April 18, 2001. His untimely death has left a tremendous rift in the lives of his family and friends, as well as in the crustacean-research community. Denton is survived by his spouse Mary Schug Belk, his two sisters, his parents, and in-laws. Denton was buried in Mineola, Texas. He was 62 years old.

Gene Denton Belk was born and reared in Dallas, Texas. In 1965, subsequent to his discharge with honors from the military, Denton matriculated at the University of Texas, Austin, where he received his undergraduate and Master’s degrees. Denton’s advisor was Bassett Maguire, Jr., whom Denton assisted in his research on the ostracods of Puerto Rican bromeliads. Denton studied the Conchostraca for his Master’s degree and published two papers (1970, 1972) based on that research. It was during this time that Denton discovered his first new anostracan species, Streptocephalus moorei Belk, 1973, which he named in honor of Walter Moore, who mentored and supported Denton in his interests.

Denton and Mary moved to Guam in 1969. Denton taught high school biology while Mary pursued her Master’s degree on coral reef fishes. Denton published papers on the Cladocera and Copepoda of Guam in 1973. They returned to the United States in 1971, where Denton entered the Ph.D. program at the University of Arizona, under Gerald A. Cole.

Denton’s doctoral research was a two-fold project: “The ecology and zoogeography of the fairy shrimps in Arizona” (1977), and “Key to the Anostraca (fairy shrimps) of North America” (1974). For his work he succeeded in acquiring a National Science Foundation Dissertation Improvement Grant (GB-37225) and an Arizona Academy of Science Research grant-in-aid. To facillitate his work on the North American Anostraca key, Denton traveled to the Smithsonian Institution as a Visitor at the National Museum of Natural History supported by the Smithsonian Institution Office of Academic Studies. His published thesis received the R. M. Harris Award for the best paper based on graduate-student research published in the Journal of the Arizona-Nevada Academy of Sciences for 1977.

In 1978, Denton was appointed as adjunct associate professor of biology at Our Lady of the Lake University in San Antonio, where he directed students in research and taught comparative anatomy, cellular physiology, scientific literature, and contemporary problems in biology.

Denton secured grants from the Smithsonian Institution in 1979 and 1980 to collect large branchiopod crustaceans in India. He collaborated with Christine Esparza, and the work was published in 1995.

Denton became treasurer of The Crustacean Society (TCS) in 1986. At that time, TCS was experiencing financial difficulties. Denton invested the society’s money and was able to earn substantial interest that TCS translated into student awards, scholarships, grants, and other programs.

Denton was active in conservation. He was Chair of the Inland Water Crustacean Specialist Group, for the Species Survival Commission of the International Union of Conservation and Nature from 1994 until 2000. He was a member of the Society for Conservation Biology, and in 1998 he was a co-editor of the proceedings and contributor to the Ecology, Conservation, and Management of Vernal Pool Ecosystems Conference.

In an effort to link branchiopod workers, Denton, together with Henri Dumont and others, organized and developed the International Large Branchiopod Symposia. These symposia have been held every four years and were held in, successively: Ghent, Belgium; Ulm, Germany; San Diego, U.S.A.; and La Paz, México. In addition, Denton founded “The Anostracan News,” a quarterly newsletter containing brief articles and a list of recent publications.

Denton was especially interested in systematics, and his sizable reference collection $(1,400+\mathrm{s}\mathrm{a}\mathrm{m}\mathrm{p}\mathrm{l}\mathrm{e}\mathrm{s})$ contained numerous paratype and topotype material as well as Walter Moore’s collections. Denton’s collections contained 14 of the 15 large-branchiopod families, 34 of 43 genera, and numerous species. Denton bequeathed his collections to the Smithsonian Institution.

During Denton’s career, he published 66 technical papers, co-edited four symposium volumes concerning large branchiopods or their habitat, and described or co-described 24 species new to science. His technical abilities are more adequately portrayed in his extensive bibliography, below. Denton Belk published more on large branchiopods than any other researcher and produced the greatest definitive works since Folke Linder. Some of his greatest contributions to our understanding of large branchiopods include his key to North American Anostraca (1975b); his studies on anostracan mating behavior (1984a, 1991a, 1992b, 1997c); his work on cyst morphology (1970, 1977a, 1987b, 1989a–b, 1990a, 1994, 1995f, 1997a); and his phenomenal contribution to systematics (1973c, 1975b, 1979b, 1982a–b, 1987a, 1988, 1989a–b, 1990c, 1992a, 1993a, 1995a–b, 1995d–e, 1996a, 1997c–d, 1997f, 1998a, 1999b, 2000a–b, 2001).

However, Denton’s greatest impact of all was through his generosity, kindness, and support to any and all who came to him for direction. He mentored and deeply influenced all who studied the large branchiopods. He was always very generous with his time and information and was enthusiastic about any and all new ideas or projects.

It is impossible to describe all the projects of which Denton was a part. It is impossible to describe the enormity of his impact on crustacean research and on the professional and personal lives of all who knew him and worked with him. It is also impossible to express our grief in losing our friend and mentor.

Large Branchiopods Described by Denton Belk

Denton’s Shrimp, Anostraca:

• Branchinecta conservatio Eng, Belk, and Eriksen, 1990

• B. longiantenna Belk, 1990

• B. lynchi Eng, Belk, and Eriksen, 1990

• B. potassa Belk, 1979

• B. readingi Belk, 2000

• B. mesovallensis Belk and Fugate, 2000

• B. kaibabensis Belk and Fugate, 2000

• Dendrocephalus argentinus Pereira and Belk, 1987

• D. cornutus Pereira and Belk, 1987

• D. sarmentosus Pereira and Belk, 1987

• Streptocephalus coomansi Brendonck and Belk, 1993

• S. guzmani Maeda-Martínez, Belk, Obregon-Barboza, and Dumont, 1995

• S. mattoxi Maeda-Martínez, Belk, Obregon-Barboza, and Dumont, 1995

• S. moorei Belk, 1973

• S. potosinensis Maeda-Martínez, Belk, Obregon-Barboza, and Dumont, 1995

• S. wootoni Eng, Belk, and Eriksen, 1990

• Thamnocephalus venzuelensis Pereira and Belk, 1982

Conchostraca:

• Eulimnadia ovilunata Martin and Belk, 1989

• E. cylindrova Belk, 1989

• E. astraova Belk, 1989

• E. ovisimilis Martin and Belk, 1989

• Paralimnetis texana Martin and Belk, 1998

Species Named in Denton Belk’s Honor

• Branchinecta belki Maeda-Martínez, Obregon-Barboza, and Dumont, 1992

• Eulimnadia belki Martin, 1989

Editorships

1991. Belk, D., H. J. Dumont, and N. Munuswamy, eds. Studies on Large Branchiopod Biology and Aquaculture. Kluwer Academic Publishers, The Netherlands.

1993–2000. Editor and Publisher of “Anostracan News,” newsletter of the Large Branchiopod Working Group, Inland Water Crustacean Specialist Group, Species Survival Commission–IUCN.

1995. Belk, D., H. J. Dumont, and G. Maier, eds. Studies on Large Branchiopod Biology and Aquaculture II. Kluwer Academic Publishers, The Netherlands.

1997. Simovich, M. A., C. Sassaman, and D. Belk, eds. Studies on Large Branchiopod Biology and Conservation. Kluwer Academic Publishers, The Netherlands

1998. Witham, C. W., E. Bauder, D. Belk, W. Ferren, and R. Ornduff, eds. Ecology, Conservation, and Management of Vernal Pool Ecosystems – Proceedings from a 1996 Conference. California Native Plant Society, Sacramento, California.

Publications

1966. Belk, D. A laboratory exercise on embryonic development using livebearing fishes.—American Biology Teacher 28: 306, 307.

1967a. Maguire, B., Jr., and D. Belk. Paramecium transport by land snails.—Journal of Protozology 14: 445–447.

1967b. Belk, D., and M. S. Belk. Half-pint pincushion.—Texas Parks and Wildlife 25: 13, 14.

1968. Maguire, B., Jr., D. Belk, and G. Wells. Control of community structure by mosquito larvae.—Ecology 49: 207–210.

1970. Belk, D. Functions of the conchostracan egg shell.—Crustaceana 19: 105, 106.

1971a. Belk, D., M. J. Merten, and J. E. Shafer. Agana springs nature preserve: a guide to environmental study areas.—Guam Science Teachers Association, Agana. 67 pp.

1971b. Belk, D., and D. Hotaling. Guam record of the freshwater medusa Craspedacusta sowerbyi Lankester.—Micronesica 7: 229, 230.

1972. Belk, D. The biology and ecology of Eulimnadia antlei Mackin (Conchostraca).—The Southwestern Naturalist 16: 297–305.

1973a. Belk, D. The Cladocera of Guam.—Crustaceana 24: 146, 147.

1973b. Belk, D. A chat about sex.—American Biology Teacher 35: 155, 156.

1973c. Belk, D. Streptocephalus moorei n. sp., a new fairy shrimp (Anostraca) from Mexico.—Transactions of the American Microscopical Society 92: 507–512.

1975a. Belk, M. S., and D. Belk. An observation of algal colonization on Acropora aspera killed by Acanthaster planci.—Hydrobiologia 46: 29–32.

1975b. Belk, D. Key to the Anostraca (fairy shrimps) of North America.—The Southwestern Naturalist 20: 91–103.

1975c. Belk, D., and G. A. Cole. Adaptational biology of desert temporary pond inhabitants. Pp. 207–226 in N. F. Hadley, ed. Environmental Physiology of Desert Organisms. Dowden, Hutchinson and Ross, Inc., Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania.

1975d. Watkins, R. L., and D. Belk. The copepoda of Guam.—Crustaceana 28: 302, 303.

1975e. Belk, D., and M. S. Belk. Hatching temperatures and new distributional records for Caenestheriella setosa (Crustacea, Conchostraca).—The Southwestern Naturalist 20: 409–411.

1977a. Belk, D. Evolution of egg size strategies in fairy shrimps.—The Southwestern Naturalist 22: 99–105.

1977b. Belk, D. Ecology and zoogeography of the fairy shrimps in Arizona.—Journal of the Arizona Academy of Science 12: 70–78.

1978a. Belk, D. A gynandromorph of the fairy shrimp Branchinecta lindahli Packard, 1883 (Anostraca).—Crustaceana 35: 319–321.

1978b. Hubbs, C., T. Lucier, G. P. Garrett, R. J. Edwards, S. M. Dean, E. Marsh, and D. Belk. Survival and abundance of introduced fishes near San Antonio, Texas.—Texas Journal of Science 30: 369–376.

1979a. Belk, D. Additional notes on anostracan gynandromorphs.—Crustaceana 37: 319–321.

1979b. Belk, D. Branchinecta potassa new species (Crustacea Anostraca), a new fairy shrimp from Nebraska, U.S.A.—The Southwestern Naturalist 24: 93–96.

1979c. Belk, D., and D. R. Lindberg. First freshwater animal reported for Isla de Guadalupe represents a southern range extension for Branchinecta lindahli (Crustacea: Anostraca).—The Southwestern Naturalist 24: 371–396.

1982a. Belk, D. Branchiopoda. Pp. 174–180 in S. P. Parker, ed. Synopsis and Classification of Living Organisms, Vol. 2. McGraw-Hill Book Company, New York.

1982b. Belk, D., and G. Pereira. Thamnocephalus venezuelensis, new species (Anostraca: Thamnocephalidae), first report of Thamnocephalus in South America.—Journal of Crustacean Biology 2: 223–226.

1983. Belk, D. New fairy shrimp distribution records among collections at the California Academy of Sciences.—The Southwestern Naturalist 28: 380, 381.

1984a. Belk, D. Antennal appendages and reproductive success in the Anostraca.—Journal of Crustacean Biology 4: 66–71.

1984b. Belk, D. Patterns in anostracan distribution. Pp. 168–172 in S. Jain and P. Moyle, eds. Vernal Pools and Intermittent Streams. Institute of Ecology Publication No. 28. University of California, Davis.

1984c. Belk, D., and W. D. Milne, Jr. Anostraca in Alabama.—Journal of the Alabama Academy of Science 55: 245–247.

1987a. Pereira, G., and D. Belk. Three new species of Dendrocephalus (Anostraca: Thamnocephalidae) from Central and South America.—Journal of Crustacean Biology 7: 572–580.

1987b. Belk, D. Embryonic cuticles of Artemia during diapause and hatching: insights from comparison with other Branchiopoda.—Journal of Crustacean Biology 7: 691–696.

1988. Martin, J. W., and D. Belk. Review of the clam shrimp family Lynceidae Stebbing, 1902 (Branchiopoda: Conchostraca), in the Americas.—Journal of Crustacean Biology 8: 451–482.

1989a. Belk, D. Identifying species in the conchostracan genus Eulimnadia by egg shell morphology.—Journal of Crustacean Biology 9: 115–125.

1989b. Martin, J. W., and D. Belk. Eulimnadia ovilunata and E. ovisimilis, new species of clam shrimps (Crustacea, Branchiopoda, Spinicaudata) from South America.—Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington 102: 894–900.

1990a. Belk, D., G. Anderson, and S.-Y. Hsu. Additional observations on variations in egg size among populations of Streptocephalus seali (Anostraca).—Journal of Crustacean Biology 10: 128–133.

1990b. Eng, L., D. Belk, and C. H. Eriksen. Californian Anostraca: distribution, habitat, and status.—Journal of Crustacean Biology 10: 247–277.

1990c. Belk, D., and S. T. Bowen. Artemia franciscana Kellogg, 1906 (Crustacea, Branchiopoda): proposed conservation of the species name.—Bulletin of Zoological Nomenclature 47: 178–183.

1991a. Belk, D. Anostracan mating behavior: a case of scramble-competition polygyny. Pp. 111–125 in R. T. Bauer and J. W. Martin, eds. Crustacean Sexual Biology. Columbia University Press.

1991b. Belk, D. Why only one of two common central Texas Anostraca atop Enchanted Rock?—Hydrobiologia 212: 83–86.

1992a. Belk, D., and S. L. Sissom. New Branchinella from Texas, U.S.A., and the problem of antennalike processes.—Journal of Crustacean Biology 12: 312–316.

1992b. Belk, D., and L. Serpa. First record of Branchinecta campestris (Anostraca) from California and casual observations of Artemia males clasping Branchinecta females.—Journal of Crustacean Biology 12: 511–513.

1992c. Belk, D. Observations on the clam shrimps of Arizona.—Journal of the Arizona-Nevada Academy of Science 26: 132–138.

1993a. Brendonck, L., and D. Belk. Streptocephalus coomansi, a new fairy shrimp species (Crustacea: Branchiopoda: Anostraca) from Kenya.—Journal of African Zoology 107: 535–541.

1993b. Brown, J. W., H. A. Wier, and D. Belk. New records of fairy shrimp (Crustacea: Anostraca) from Baja California, Mexico.—The Southwestern Naturalist 38: 389, 390.

1993c. Saunders, J. F., III, D. Belk, and R. Dufford. Persistence of Branchinecta paludosa (Anostraca) in southern Wyoming with notes on zoogeography.—Journal of Crustacean Biology 13: 184–189.

1994. Lee, K. W., M. A. Gouthro, D. Belk, and J. R. Rosowski. Ultrastructure features of the tertiary envelope in the cyst of the brine shrimp Artemia franciscana (Anostraca). Pp. 362, 363 in G. W. Bailey and A. J. Garratt-Reed, eds. Proceedings of the 52nd Annual Meeting of the Microscopical Society of America. San Francisco Press, San Francisco, California.

1995a. Belk, D. Uncovering the Laurasian roots of Eubranchipus.—Hydrobiologia 298: 241–243.

1995b. Belk, D., and J. Brtek. Checklist of the Anostraca.—Hydrobiologia 298: 315–353.

1995c. Belk, D., and C. E. Esparza. Anostraca of the Indian subcontinent.—Hydrobiologia 298: 287–293.

1995d. Maeda-Martínez, A. M., D. Belk, H. Obregon-Barboza, and H. J. Dumont. Diagnosis and phylogeny of the New World Streptocephalidae (Branchiopoda: Anostraca).—Hydrobiologia 298: 15–44.

1995e. Maeda-Martínez, A. M., D. Belk, H. Obregon-Barboza, and H. J. Dumont. A contribution to the systematics of the Streptocephalidae (Branchiopoda: Anostraca).—Hydrobiologia 298: 203–232.

1995f. Rosowski, J. R., M. A. Gouthro, D. Belk, and K. W. Lee. Scanning electron microscopy of shell-free cysts of the brine shrimp Artemia franciscana (Anostraca) in the process of hatching. Pp. 922, 923 in G. W. Bailey, M. H. Ellisman, R. A. Hennigar, and N. J. Zaluzec, eds. Proceedings of Microscopy and Microanalysis 1995. Jones and Begel Publishing, New York.

1996a. Belk, D. Was sind “Urzeitkrebse”? Pp. 15–19 in E. Aescht, ed. Urzeitkrebse Osterreichs–Lebende Fossilien in kurzlebiegen Gewassern. Stapfia 42, zugleich Kataloge des O. O. Landesmuseums N.F. 100, Linz, Austria. [German translation by E. Eder.]

1996b. Belk, D., and R. Ballantyne. Filamentous algae an additional food for the predatory anostracan Branchinecta gigas Lynch, 1937.—Journal of Crustacean Biology 16: 552–555.

1997a. Rosowski, J. R., D. Belk, M. A. Gouthro, and K. W. Lee. Ultrastructure of the cyst shell and underlying membranes of the brine shrimp Artemia franciscana Kellogg (Anostraca) during postencystic development, emergence, and hatching.—Journal of Shellfish Research 16: 233–249.

1997b. Maeda-Martínez, A. M., D. Belk, H. Obregon-Barboza, and H. J. Dumont. Phyllopod assemblages common to Mexico and the United States.—Hydrobiologia 359: 45–62.

1997c. Brendonck, L., and D. Belk. On potentials and relevance of the use of copulatory structures in anostracan taxonomy.—Hydrobiologia 359: 83–92.

1997d. Brendonck, L., and D. Belk. Branchinella madurai Raj (Crustacea, Branchiopoda, Anostraca) shown by new evidence to be a valid species.—Hydrobiologia 359: 93–99.

1997e. Belk, D., and W. D. Peters. Anostracans in dark sections of Saudi Arabian caves.—Hydrobiologia 359: 203–206.

1997f. Belk, D., and J. Brtek. Supplement to “checklist of the Anostraca”.—Hyrobiologia 359: 243–245.

1998a. Belk, D., G. Mura, and S. C. Weeks. Untangling confusion between Eubranchipus vernalis and Eubranchipus neglectus (Branchiopoda, Anostraca).—Journal of Crustacean Biology 18: 147–152.

1998b. Belk, D. Global status and trends in ephemeral pool invertebrate conservation: implications for Californian fairy shrimp. Pp. 147–150 in C. W. Witham, E. T. Bauder, D. Belk, W. R. Fennen, Jr., and R. Ornduff, eds. Ecology, Conservation, and Management of Vernal Pool Ecosystems–Proceedings from a 1996 Conference. California Native Plant Society, Sacramento, California.

1999a. Eriksen, C. H., and D. Belk. Fairy Shrimps of California’s Puddles, Pools, and Playas. Mad River Press, Inc., Eureka, California. 196 pp.

1999b. Stern, S. M., and D. Belk. Confirmation of Branchinecta paludosa (Crustacea, Anostraca) in Utah.—The Southwestern Naturalist 44: 212, 213.

2000a. Belk, D., and M. Fugate. Two new Branchinecta (Crustacea: Anostraca) from the Southwestern United States.—The Southwestern Naturalist 45: 111–117.

2000b. Belk, D. Branchinecta readingi new species name for a well-known fairy shrimp from east of the North American Continental Divide.—Journal of Crustacean Biology 20: 568–572.

2000c. Belk, D. Suspended animation: primeval shrimps and the art of survival (a review of).—Journal of Crustacean Biology 20: 805.

2001. Belk, D., and F. R. Schram. A new species of anostracan from the Miocene of California.—Journal of Crustacean Biology 21: 49–55.

In Press

Petrov, B., and D. Belk. Distribution, Diversity and Conservation Status of Anostraca (Crustacea, Branchiopoda) of the Balkans. Second International Congress on the Biodiversity, Ecology and Conservation of the Balkan Fauna.

Rosowski, J. R., T. L. Bartels, J. F. Colburn, J. L. Colton, D. Belk, and K. W. Lee. Ultrastructure of the tertiary envelope of the cyst of the tadpole shrimp, Triops longicaudatus (Branchiopoda; Notostraca).

In Preparation or Review

Belk, D. Branchiopoda. In J. T. Carlton, ed. The Light and Smith Manual: Intertidal Invertebrates of the Central California and Oregon Coasts. Fourth edition. University of California Press, Berkeley.

Belk, DSS., and D. C. Rogers. A trio of confusing Branchinecta (Crustacea: Anostraca) from the western United States.

Belk, D., M. S. Belk, and K. A. L. Reading. Survey of large branchiopods on Aruba and consideration of taxonomic characters in Leptestheria (Spinicaudata).

Torrentera, L., and D. Belk. New penis characters to distinguish between American Artemia species.