Abstract
A new snapping shrimp species of the Alpheus edwardsii (Audouin, 1826) group is described based on two specimens, one male and one female, collected on shallow-water reef flats of the Southern Ari Atoll in the Maldives, with a photographic record from Cebu in the Philippines. Alpheus octocellatus sp. nov. appears to be morphologically closest to A. edwardsii, A. pareuchirus Coutière, 1905, and A. leptochirus Coutière, 1905, but can be distinguished from all of them by a combination of morphological characters, mainly involving the chelipeds, third maxilliped and pleonal sternites. The new species also has a highly diagnostic colour pattern, with four pairs of conspicuous eyespots distributed in a unique and peculiar pattern on the pleon.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 549-559 |
| Number of pages | 11 |
| Journal | Zootaxa |
| Volume | 5271 |
| Issue number | 3 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Apr 27 2023 |
Bibliographical note
KAUST Repository Item: Exported on 2023-05-02Acknowledged KAUST grant number(s): FCC/1/1973-49-01
Acknowledgements: The authors would like to thank Ms. Maleeha Haleem, who helped to obtain the research permit through the Ministry of Fisheries, Marine Resources and Agriculture—Research Permit N (OTHR)30-D/INDIV/2022/42; Dr. Aminath Shazly, the Maldives National University (MNU); Dr. Hassan Ahmed, the president of Save the Beach Maldives, Sailfish, Boakeyo golhi, Malé, Maldives; Ms. Donatella Telli and all the crew of the M/Y Ocean Sapphire; Dr. Fabio Marchese (KAUST), the cruise leader, Dr. Tullia I. Terraneo for cruise logistics and support organisation, and all participants of the Ari South cruise in March 2022. This work was supported by KAUST (FCC/1/1973-49-01), and baseline research funds to F. Benzoni. The originally submitted manuscript was reviewed by Reza Naderloo and an anonymous reviewer.