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The freshwater shrimp genus Cryphiops Dana, 1852 has a disjunct distribution in North (Mexico) and South (Brazil, Chile) America, and is composed of only six species. The current classification of genera in the Palaemonidae is controversial, based on variable morphological characters, and still far from a clear definition. Cryphiops differs from the speciose genus Macrobrachium Spence Bate, 1868 only by the absence of the hepatic spines on the carapace. Previous studies with a limited dataset suggested the necessity to link morphology and phylogeny to create an internal rearrangement in the genus to resolve the paraphyletic status. Through a molecular phylogenetic approach, the evolutionary relationships are inferred based on four (mitochondrial and nuclear) genes, among all recognized species of Cryphiops and, in combination with a taxonomic revision, a rearrangement in the systematics of the genus is suggested. The absence of hepatic spines on the carapace, the only character used to separate the genus Cryphiops, is subjective and should be considered as a homoplasy. This implies that Cryphiops and Macrobrachium are subjective synonyms and, because the latter genus is much more diverse and widely known, with several economically important species, to avoid confusion and disturbance in nomenclatural stability and keep universality, a proposal for the priority of the older synonym (Cryphiops) to be partially suppressed in favor of maintaining the prevailing use of the younger synonym (Macrobrachium) is presented. As the species of Cryphiops should be accommodated in the genus Macrobrachium, new names to replace three preoccupied specific names that, by this action, resulted to be secondary homonyms are offered.

A new parabathynellid bathynellacean species, Hangangbathynella mihoensissp. nov., was found in the groundwater of the Geumgang River in South Korea. This is the first report of Hangangbathynella from a tributary of the Geumgang River. All previously-reported species were found in the Hangang River and the origins of the two rivers are distinct from each other. The new species can be distinguished from its congeners by the two-segmented mandibular palp and the absence of epipods on thoracopod II. In this study, we provide a description of the new species and an identification table for the genus Hangangbathynella. In addition, we obtained partial sequences of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I gene for DNA barcoding.

A new pardaliscid amphipod, Princaxelia marianaensissp. nov., is described from a single female captured at the Shinkai Seep Field, Mariana Trench, from a depth of 5,689–5,683 m. A key to species of Princaxelia is provided. This is the first species of Princaxelia to be described from the Mariana Trench, and the second report of this genus from this region.

Nephropsis stewarti Wood-Mason, 1872 is the most common species of the deep-sea clawed lobster genus Nephropsis Wood-Mason, 1872 in the Indo-West Pacific. Morphological comparisons and genetic analyses of extensive material referred to this lobster revealed the presence of three species. The three species differ mainly in body size, development of the intermediate carina on the carapace, position of the lateral pair of rostral teeth, whether the pleonal tergum is granulate, and the spination on the large chelipeds. Nephropsis stewarti is restricted to the western central Indian Ocean, and a neotype is selected to fix its identity. The name Nephropsis grandis Zarenkov, 2006 is revived with neotype selection for the large form found in the West Pacific and northwestern Australia. The smaller form from southern Taiwan and the Philippines is described as Nephropsis pygmaeasp. nov.

From a biodiversity survey of a subterranean habitat near Sinan County, Guizhou Province, southwestern China, a new atyid shrimp of the genus Caridina H. Milne Edwards, 1837, C. sinanensissp. nov. was discovered. The new species can be separated from other congeners based on a combination of characters including depigmentation in body and reduction of eyes, small pigment spot at the centre of the cornea, the shape of rostrum and the endopod of the 1st male pleopod, and the relatively longer appendix interna on the appendix masculina of the 2nd pleopod. Mitochondrial COI and 16S rRNA gene sequences also support the establishment of the new species. Information on the habitat, and the levels of threat are discussed to guide the conservation of C. sinanensissp. nov.

A new genus and new species of blind freshwater cave crab are described from Chongzuo City, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China based on morphology and mitochondrial 16S rDNA sequences. The new genus,Phasmongen. nov., is established forP. typhlopssp. nov., which is only the second blind cave crab known from China and East Asia. The combination of a very wide carapace, overall depigmentation, reduced orbits and vestigial unpigmented eyes ofPhasmonimmediately separates it from all known potamid genera. Molecular divergence estimates based on 16S rDNA suggest that the lineage to which the new genus belongs diverged from other potamids at the beginning of the Late Miocene (10.8 million years ago), much earlier than other Chinese cave crabs.

Graeconiscus gevisp. nov., a new troglobitic terrestrial isopod (family Trichoniscidae, subfamily Haplophthalminae), is described. The specimens of the new species are found in the Cueva del Yeso III, in the province of Málaga (SE Spain). Graeconiscus gevisp. nov. is closely related to Graeconiscus thermophilus (Çaglar, 1948), an oculate species from Turkey and some Eastern Mediterranean islands. The morphological differences between both species are discussed and illustrated by SEM images of specimens from Málaga and Cyprus. The studied material represents the first record of the genus Graeconiscus in the Iberian Peninsula.

Thermosbaenaceans (Thermosbaenacea: Halosbaenidae) are crustaceans, widespread, and occur in various habitats, including oligohaline or anchialine caves, freshwater, thermal springs, or cold waters. Currently, four families, seven genera, and 45 species are recognized worldwide. During the observation in an isolated limestone of Tham Loko (Loko Cave), Khao Chiason District, Phatthalung Province, the Theosbaena loko n. sp. were found. Theosbaena is the only genus reported in the oriental region. There are only two known species, namely Theosbaena cambodjiana Cals & Boutin 1985 from Kampot province, southern Cambodia, and T. kiatwongchai Rogers & Sanoamuang 2016 discovered in a cave of Takhli district, Nakhon Sawan province, central Thailand. Theosbaena loko n. sp. is the third species recorded in the oriental region.A new species Theosbaena loko n. sp. is described from a limestone cave in Phatthalung province, southern Thailand. The new species differs from its congener by having a telson, 1.8 longer than its breadth, maxilla 1 palp distal segment 4 times longer than the proximal palpomere, and the maxillopodal exopod twice as long as its basal width. This micro shrimp is the third described species of the genus known from Thailand and the Oriental region. A key to the species is given and suggestions for the conservation status of the new species are discussed.

The intricate geomorphology of the coastline in the Chilean Channels and Fjords region, together with the freshwater inputs from the ice fields provide the area with very unique ecological characteristics and a variety of habitats that favour great marine biodiversity. However, although Chilean Patagonia has been the focus of several expeditions and ecological surveys, the greatest emphasis has been either on the populated coasts of the Beagle Channel and the Straits of Magellan to the south or the area to the north of Golfo de Penas, leaving vast areas that remain largely unexplored. This leads to a latitudinal gap in the faunistic information and hinders zoogeographic studies to assess biogeographical connections along the eastern coasts of the Pacific. Peracarida is a taxonomic group that provides an excellent model for such studies because of their high abundance and biodiversity, benthic habits, small size and limited dispersal capacity. A dataset providing the first and only records of the benthic Peracarida between the latitudes 48–51.5°S of the Pacific coast of Chile is presented here, hence closing a geospatial gap for the study of the biogeographical connections of the Peracarida along the Eastern Pacific coast. The dataset comprises a total of 141 georeferenced records of 60 sublittoral species of Tanaidacea, Isopoda and Amphipoda. This and other studies reveal that the coastal fauna of the region follow a latitudinal distribution pattern at a larger scale and nested assemblages inside the channels and fjords that can be regarded as a consequence of the more restrictive conditions in the inner parts. In the present scenario of global warming that is expected to affect particularly polar and subpolar regions, the present dataset serves as a reference for the distribution patterns of benthic organisms with low dispersal capacity.

A new species of pseudocrangonyctid amphipod, Pseudocrangonyx wonkimisp. nov., was found in the groundwater of a cave in the southwestern Korean Peninsula. Pseudocrangonyx wonkimisp. nov. is morphologically most closely related to P. joolaeiLee et al., 2020. However, P. wonkimi is clearly distinguished from P. joolaei by lacking sternal gills, fewer setae on maxilla 1 inner plate, fewer serrate robust setae on the carpus of the gnathopods, lacking bifid setae on the inner ramus of pleopod 3, and fewer articles of rami on pleopod 3. We also determined sequences of mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) of P. wonkimisp. nov. for molecular diagnosis. From the molecular analysis based on COI sequences, P. wonkimi showed the closest relationship with P. joolaei with 15.1% genetic distance.

Re-examination of the holotype and paratype of Sphaerillo boninensis Nunomura, 1990 from Chichijima Island of the Ogasawara archipelago, which is registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, indicates that this species is a junior synonym of a pantropical species, Venezillo parvus (Budde-Lund, 1885).

A faunistic and ecological survey was conducted to document the diversity of freshwater atyid shrimps of Dawanshan Island. Two species of Caridina that occur on this island were documented and discussed. One of these, Caridina tetrazonasp. nov. is described and illustrated as new to science. It can be easily distinguished from its congeners based on a combination of characters, which includes a short rostrum, the shape of the endopod of the male first pleopod, the segmental ratios of antennular peduncle and third maxilliped, the slender scaphocerite, and the absence of a median projection on the posterior margin. Live individuals of the new species display a unique coloration pattern with four dark blue transverse bands on the body, and can be easily recognized in the field. So far, despite considerable surveying efforts made on neighboring islands, this species has only been found from a small stream on Dawanshan Island, which suggests that it may have a very limited range, probably endemic to Dawanshan Island. Molecular characteristics of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) demonstrate that this species shows sufficient interspecific divergence from its congeners, including C. serrata Stimpson, 1860, which was found in four streams on Dawanshan Island, and has been previously reported on the neighboring islands of Hong Kong, Dong’ao, Wailingding, and Guishan.

A calcified individual of Epimeria Costa, 1851 collected from an unnamed seamount of the Caroline Plate, NW Pacific, is recognized as new to science herein. This increases the number of known Epimeria species of the North Pacific to nine. Epimeria liuisp. nov. differs from its similar congeners by having a rostrum hardly reaching to the end margin of first peduncular article of antenna 1, the presence of large pyriform eyes, the size-increasing mid-dorsal teeth starting from pereonite 6 to pleonite 2, the projection on coxa 5 not extending to epimeral plate 1, and by having a nearly quadrate telson notched medially. To facilitate identification the new species is included in a key to Pacific species of Epimeria.

A new species of temnocephalan is described from the branchial chambers ofValdivia serratain Colombia asTemnocephala ivandarioisp. nov.The most distinctive characters of the new species are in the cirrus and the epidermal ‘excretory’ syncytial plates. In the present study, the terminology to describe the cirrus of species ofTemnocephalais updated. Comparison between the shape of the cirrus of the temnocephalans associated with trichodactylid crabs is also provided.

The first record of the non-indigenous, alien amphipod Grandidierella gilesi in the Lam Ta Khong River is presented. Previously, this Indo-Pacific amphipod had only been reported in the Indian Ocean, the Andaman Sea, the Gulf of Thailand, the South China Sea and Australia. In Thailand, G. gilesi was previously reported in an isolated pond in Bangkok. The present study constitutes another record of this species in inland water. The characteristics and variation of G. gilesi, observed in this study, are also discussed. All the specimens described here are preserved at the Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn Natural History Museum, Prince of Songkla University, Songkla, Thailand.

A new species of Cumacea belonging to the genus Eocuma Marcusen was collected from the South Sea of Korea. This new species resembles E. amakusense Gamô, E. hilgendorfi Marcusen, and E. latum Calman in having a pair of well-developed dorso-lateral carinae on the flat carapace and similar setae pattern on the telson. The new species, however, is easily distinguished from its congeners by the pattern of dorso-lateral carina and lacking lateral horns on the carapace. The adult male of this new species is fully described. A key to the Korean Eocuma species is also provided.

A set of 69 specimens from 19 groundwater species of the genera Niphargus, Niphargellus, Microniphargus and Crangonyx was genetically screened for microsporidian infections. Samples mostly originated from groundwater-dependent spring environments (71%), natural caves (9%) and artificial caverns/tunnels (13%). Amphipod hosts were identified by morphology and/or molecular data, whereas microsporidian parasites were characterised by a genetic screening assay targeting a section of the small subunit rRNA gene. Five microsporidian species (Dictyocoela duebenum; Nosema sp. Hyperspora aquatica and two undescribed Microsporidium spp.) were revealed from 13 host specimens (Niphargus schellenbergi; N. aquilex lineages B, F and G; Niphargellus arndti). In particular N. schellenbergi was frequently infected with D. duebenum as well as a new and potentially niphargid-specific Nosema sp. identified in Niphargellus arndti. Our results shed further light on the still largely unknown diversity and specificity of microsporidian parasites in groundwater amphipods and subterranean animals in general., SCOPUS: ar.j, DecretOANoAutActif, info:eu-repo/semantics/published

Evidence-based information is the foundation for addressing urgent global challenges in conservation and sustainable management of the freshwater biodiversity. The present study expands current knowledge of the genus Macrobrachium in Zaomu Mountain Forest Park, Guangdong Province based on the morphology, colouration, distribution, and molecular characteristics of Macrobrachiummaculatum, M.inflatum, M.nipponense, and an undescribed new species, M.laevis. Macrobrachiumlaevissp. nov. can be distinguished from its congeners by a combination of characters, which includes the shape of rostrum, smooth carapace, and male second pereiopod. Macrobrachiumlaevissp. nov. displays striking colour pattern, which could help to distinguish this species from other congeneric species in living specimen. Furthermore, the molecular characteristics of mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) showed that this species has a sufficient interspecific divergence from its congeners.

The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has recently adopted DNA barcoding for the purpose of determining the species identity of commercial seafood products. This effort has revealed instances of incongruence between current scientifically accepted taxon names and those utilized by the seafood industry in product labelling. One such case is that of “Portunushaanii”, a name utilized by the seafood industry to label commercial products under the market name “red swimming crab.” However, carcinologists currently regardP.haaniias synonym ofPortunusgladiatorFabricius, 1798, which itself is the subject of debate over whether it is a secondary homonym ofCancer gladiatorFabricius, 1793. Further complicating matters, DNA barcode sequences from commercial products match GenBank sequences identified asPortunuspseudoargentatusStephenson, 1961. Here the complicated taxonomic history of thePortunusgladiatorcomplex is reviewed and a resolution proposed based on combined morphological descriptions and molecular phylogenetic analyses. It is demonstrated that, given the provisions of the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature and the current elevation ofMonomiaGistel, 1848, to full genus rank, its type species,PortunusgladiatorFabricius, 1798, should be treated as a valid and available taxon name. It is also shown, upon examination and comparison of types and topotypic material thatMonomiahaanii(Stimpson, 1858) is a distinct taxon fromM.gladiator, andPortunuspseudoargentatusStephenson, 1961, is a junior subjective synonym ofM.haanii(Stimpson, 1858). Furthermore, it is shown that crab meat sold in the US currently labeled as “Portunushaanii” and/or “red swimming crab” is in factM.haaniiusing comparative analysis of DNA barcode sequences between museum-vouchered reference specimens, whole crabs provided directly by a seafood importer, and processed commercial products purchased at retail.

An overview of boring Australian Eophliantidae is provided along with the description of two new species of the genus Bircenna Chilton, 1884, B.thielisp. nov. and B.hinojosaisp. nov. Interestingly, these species co-occur in samples of the bull kelp Durvillaeapotatorum (Labillardière) Areschoug, 1854 collected in Tasmania, Australia and present a number of novel urosomite and telson structures not previously recorded. An updated key to the 16 world species is given.

A new interstitial species, Caecianiropsisgoseongensissp. n. is described from littoral off the east coast of Korea (Sea of Japan). The species can be distinguished from its congeners by the number of antennular articles, shape of the male appendix masculina, setation of pereopods, and length ratio of the uropodal rami. To aid species identification a taxonomic key to all species of Caecianiropsis Menzies & Pettit, 1956 is also provided as well as a partial 16S mitochondrial ribosome RNA of the new species, which is the first genetic information for the genus.

Peracarida (e.g. woodlice and side-swimmers) are, together with their sister-group Eucarida (e.g. krill and decapods), the most speciose group of modern crustaceans, suggested to have appeared as early as the Ordovician. While eucarids' incursion onto land consists of mainly freshwater and littoral grounds, some peracarids have evolved fully terrestrial ground-crawling ecologies, inhabiting even our gardens in temperate regions (e.g. pillbugs and sowbugs). Their fossil record extends back to the Carboniferous and consists mainly of marine occurrences. Here, we provide a complete re-analysis of a fossil arthropod— Oxyuropoda— reported in 1908 from the Late Devonian floodplains of Ireland, and left with unresolved systematic affinities despite a century of attempts at identification. Known from a single specimen preserved in two dimensions, we analysed its anatomy using digital microscopy and multispectral macroimaging to enhance the contrast of morphological structures. The new anatomical characters and completeness of Oxyuropoda , together with a phylogenetic analysis with representatives of all major Eumalacostraca groups, indicate that Oxyuropoda is a crown peracarid, part of a clade including amphipods and isopods. As such, Oxyuropoda is the oldest known species Peracarida, and provides evidence that derived peracarids had an incursion into freshwater and terrestrial environments as early as the Famennian, more than 360 Ma.

Peracarida (e.g., woodlice & side-swimmers) are, together with their sister-group Eucarida (e.g. krill & decapods), the most speciose group of modern crustaceans, suggested to have appeared as early as the Ordovician. While eucarids incursion onto land consists of mainly freshwater and littoral grounds, some peracarids have evolved fully terrestrial ground-crawling ecologies, inhabiting even our gardens in temperate regions (e.g. pillbugs and sowbugs). Their fossil record extends back to the Carboniferous and consists mainly of marine occurrences. Here, we provide a complete re-analysis of a fossil arthropod – Oxyuropoda – reported in 1908 from the Late Devonian floodplains of Ireland, and left with unresolved systematic affinities despite a century of attempts at identification. Known from a single specimen preserved in two-dimensions, we analysed its anatomy using digital microscopy and multispectral macro-imaging to enhance contrast of morphological structures. The new anatomical characters and completeness of Oxyuropoda, together with a phylogenetic analysis with representatives of all major Eumalacostraca groups, indicate that Oxyuropoda is a crown-peracarid, part of a clade including amphipods and isopods. As such, Oxyuropoda is the oldest known Peracarida, and provides evidence that derived peracarids had an incursion into freshwater and terrestrial environments as early as the Famennian, more than 360 million years ago.

Four new isopods, Amakusanthura intermedia sp. nov., Apanthura laevipedata sp. nov., Idarcturus trispinosus sp. nov., and Neastacilla paralongipectus sp. nov., are reported from the sublittoral zones in Korean waters. Amakusanthura intermedia sp. nov. differs from its congeners by the following features: the uropodal exopod is sinuous distally and with pointed apex; the maxillipedal endite is present and reaching to the distal end of fused palp articles I and II; and the propodal palm of pereopod I is stepped. Apanthura laevipedata sp. nov. can be distinguishable from its related species by the following characteristics: the eye is lacking; the propodal palm of pereopod I is not stepped; and the uropodal exopod is not sinuous. Idarcturus trispinosus sp. nov. is diagnosed by the following features: the cephalon has three dorsal spines and a pair of lateral spines; pereonite IV has two pairs of small dorsolateral spines, four pairs of dorsal spines, and one posterior spine; and the pleotelson has three pairs of wings laterally. Neastacilla paralongipectus sp. nov. can be distinguished by the following characteristics: the body is smooth and lacking dorsal spines or tubercles; pereonite IV is approximately 5.4× longer than pereonites II and III together; and the pleotelson has two pairs of lateral wings. In this paper, detailed descriptions and illustrations of the four species are presented. A key to the genera of the family Arcturidae and keys to the species of the four genera are also provided.

Lake Poso, an ancient lake system on the Indonesian island Sulawesi, harbours an endemic species flock of six, four lacustrine and two riverine species of the freshwater shrimp genus Caridina. In this study, five new lacustrine species are described, bringing the total to eleven species altogether. The number of lacustrine species is more than doubled to nine species compared to the last taxonomic revision in 2009. One of them, Caridina mayamareenae Klotz, Wowor & von Rintelen, sp. nov., even represents the first case of an atyid shrimp associated with freshwater snails which is morphologically adapted to living in shells. An integrative approach was used by providing a combination of morphological, ecological, and molecular data. Based on standard morphological characters, distribution, substrate preferences, and colouration of living specimens in the field, five distinct undescribed species could be distinguished. To support our species-hypothesis based on the mitochondrial genes 16S and COI, a molecular phylogeny was used for all eleven species from Lake Poso. All species form a well-supported monophyletic group, but only four morphospecies consistently correspond to mtDNA clades – a possible reason could be introgressive hybridisation, incomplete lineage sorting, or not yet fixed species boundaries. These results are discussed further in the context of adaptive radiation, which turned out to be more diverse than previously described. Finally, yet importantly, subjecting all new species to similar threats and to the same IUCN category and criterion than the previously described species from the lake is recommended.

Tara expeditions (2009-2013) sampled the world’s oceans with standardized protocols, putting an exceptional effort into sampling plankton diversity across a large size range, using a combination of water samples and net tows. The efforts to explore the genomic diversity of plankton, through metabarcoding and metagenomics, have led to well publicized papers and have made the renown of Tara. While a similar extensive effort has been put on imaging, the datasets are not public yet. In a limited number of stations, in addition to the usual 5μm -> ~5cm Tara sampling strategy, multinet trawls allowed to sample the vertical distribution of plankton; this is the content of this dataset. Using a 300µm mesh net, it cover organisms from 300µm to ~3cm.

Two species of the opisid genus Opisa have been collected from the East Sea of South Korea, one of them described as Opisa parvimanasp. nov.. The new species, O. parvimanasp. nov. is similar to O. odontochela; however, it can be clearly distinguished from this species because it has 12 blunt robust setae in the palm of gnathopod 1. The other collected species, Opisa takafuminakanoi Narahara-Nakano, Kakui & Tomikawa, 2016 is previously known from Japanese waters (southeast of Akkeshi Bay, Hokkaido). Both species are illustrated and compared to related species. A key to Opisa species is also provided.

A new species of freshwater crab of the genus Potamonemus Cumberlidge & Clark, 1992 is described from Mount Manengouba Reserve and Bakossi National Park in the tropical rainforests of southwestern Cameroon, Central Africa. Potamonemus mansp. nov. is recognized by characters of the carapace and chelipeds. In addition, a phylogenetic analysis based on partial sequences of three mitochondrial DNA genes (COI, 12S rRNA, and 16S rRNA) that included representatives of all other freshwater crab genera found in Cameroon recovered each of the new species as a distinct lineage. A diagnosis and illustrations of the new species are provided, and it is compared to the other species of Potamonemus. Brief notes are provided on the ecology of the new species and the two other species of Potamonemus. An identification key to the species of Potamonemus is provided. The conservation status of the genus is discussed.

Tara expeditions sampled the world’s oceans with standardized protocols, putting an exceptional effort into sampling plankton diversity across a large size range, using a combination of water samples and net tows. The efforts to explore the genomic diversity of plankton, through metabarcoding and metagenomics, have led to well publicized papers and have made the renown of Tara. While a similar extensive effort has been put on imaging, the datasets are not public yet. In a limited number of stations, in addition to the usual 5μm -> ~5cm Tara sampling strategy, Bongo net samples were taken during the day and during the night, at the same station; this is the content of this dataset. Using a 300µm mesh net, it cover organisms from 300µm to ~3cm, Bongo net (300μm mesh) hauled vertically from 500m depth to the surface, once during the day, and once during the night. Sample preserved in 4% buffered formalin and stored over the long term at the Centre de Collections Planctoniques de Villefranche (CCPv). Sample scanned on a ZooScan, images processed with ZooProcess and sorted taxonomically on EcoTaxa, within the Plateforme d'Imagerie Quantitative de Villefranche (PIQv). The PIQv and CCPv platforms are part of EMBRC-France, a national Research Infrastructure supported by ANR, under the reference ANR-10-INSB-02.

Two new species of potamid crabs, Eosamon daiaesp. nov. and Indochinamon malipoensesp. nov. are described from the Sino-Burmese border, southwestern Yunnan and from the Sino-Vietnamese border, southeastern Yunnan, China. The two new species can be distinguished from their closest congeners by several characters, among which is the form of the first gonopod structures. Molecular analyses based on partial mitochondrial 16S rDNA sequences also support the systematic status of these new taxa.

Abstract We presented our findings of woodlouse Porcellionides pruinosus (Brandt, 1833), a new Porcellionidae species for the fauna of Belarus. We collected this species in Gomel region (June 2020). We also presented the data on species distribution.

The deep-sea biome (> 200 m depth) is the world’s last great wilderness, covering more than 65% of the earth’s surface. Due to rapid technological advances, deep-sea environments are becoming more accessible to scientific research and ocean exploration around the world and, in recent years, this is also true for the Galapagos Islands. Deep-sea habitats cover the largest proportion of Galapagos Marine Reserve (GMR), yet to date, no comprehensive baseline exists on the biodiversity of the benthic fauna associated with volcanic seafloor formations within this region. Closing this knowledge gap is essential to provide information for decision-making for the management of marine resources within the GMR and assessing any potential changes in biodiversity resulting from climate-driven alterations that deep-sea environments are expected to experience. In 2015, the Charles Darwin Foundation’s Seamounts of the GMR Research Project, together with the Galapagos National Park Directorate (GNPD) and Ocean Exploration Trust (OET), conducted a joint expedition on board the EV Nautilus. Using Remotely operated vehicles (ROVs), the aim of the expedition was to characterise the geological formations and biological communities present on seamounts, lava flows and other deep-sea habitats (> 200 m) within the GMR. We provide the first comprehensive image inventory for the phylum Arthropoda from 260 to 3400 m of depth within the GMR. Past studies on deep-sea macroinvertebrates in the GMR have been limited to voucher samples collected from dredging (restricted to soft bottom environments) or by submersibles (only allowing limited biological sampling). The image inventory, presented here, is based on high-definition video transects conducted by the Hercules ROV on board the EV Nautilus. Images of macroinvertebrate morphospecies were captured, catalogued and identified, thus providing the first known image inventory of in-situ macroinvertebrate species from the deep-sea region of the GMR. We present 32 distinct morphospecies occurrences within the class Malacostraca and order Decapoda. We also report 17 different families, three species that are new records to the GMR, in-situ images of two new species to science recently described and one possible new squat lobster, as well as interesting behavioural observations.

Macropodia czernjawskii(Brandt, 1880), described from the Black Sea, was ignored in the regional faunal accounts for more than a century, although it was recognised in the Mediterranean. Instead,M. longirostris(Fabricius, 1775) andM. rostrata(Linnaeus, 1761) were frequently listed for the Black Sea. We selected a lectotype and redescribed the species on the basis of the type series from the Crimean Peninsula and the new material collected in the Black Sea. Historical and new collections, as well as the analysis of publications, indicate thatM. czernjawskiiis the onlyMacropodiaspecies occurring in the Black Sea. Molecular barcode (COI gene marker) data show thatM. czernjawskiiis a species well-diverged from other studied species of the group. Furthermore,M. parvavan Noort & Adema, 1985 has very low genetic distances fromM. rostrataandM. longipesA. Milne-Edwards & Bouvier, 1899 is indistinguishable fromM. tenuirostris(Leach, 1814), using COI sequences. The respective synonimisations, supported by morphological data, are proposed.M. czernjawskiiis a Black Sea – Mediterranean endemic occurring also in the neighbouring Atlantic coastal zone of the Iberian Peninsula and occupying shallower depth, compared to other Mediterranean species ofMacropodia. As an upper subtidal inshore species, it is particularly specialised in self-decoration and stimulates abundant epibiosis, providing masking and protection. The bulk of epibiosis consists of algae and cyanobacteria. Amongst the 25 autotrophic eukaryote taxa, identified to the lowest possible level, green chlorophytesCladophorasp. and calcareous rhodophytes Corallinales gen. sp. were most commonly recorded. Non-indigenous red algaBonnemaisonia hamiferaHariot, first officially recorded at the Caucasian coast of the Black Sea in 2015, was present in the epibiosis ofM. czernjawskiiin Crimea as early as 2011.

With a Nearctic distribution, the family Cambaridae harbors a high species richness in Mexico, which is also evident along the Pánuco River catchment. A series of surveys carried on in five populations from the Sierra Gorda Biosphere Reserve in the State of Querétaro resulted in localizing a putative new species for science. A molecular phylogenetic study and species delimitation analyses including all the known Procambarus species from the Pánuco River catchment were conducted based on three mitochondrial genes (16S rDNA, 12S rDNA, and COI; 2,462 bp in total). Phylogeny recovered all species as monophyletic, including the populations under study. All delimitation results based on barcoding, ABGD, GMYC, bPTP, and gonopod differentiation agree in the recognition of a new taxon, to which the name Procambarus xihuisp. nov. is given, and its diagnosis and description are provided. The new species can be distinguished from the remaining species in the genus, among other characters, by a unique configuration of the terminal elements of the first pleopod of form I male, which includes a central projection lamellate, hood-like, forming a concave blade-like structure mesially directed, as well as a caudal process crest-like, mesiodistally directed, forming a lateral side of the concavity.

The taxonomy of the potamid freshwater crabs of the Johora tahanensis (Bott, 1966) species group (Potamoidea) is revised. Seven species are recognised, all from Peninsular Malaysia and southern Thailand, three of which are described as new. The three new species were previously identified as J. tahanensis but can be distinguished by characters of the carapace, male first gonopod, and vulva. A revised key to the 18 recognised species of Johora Bott, 1966, is provided.

An up-to-date checklist of the Peninsular Malaysian marine Anthuroidea is presented, based on previous taxonomic or ecological literature and recent collections. The present study, a part of the subproject on the Biodiversity of Sultan Iskandar Marine Park, recognised 24 species in 12 genera and 5 families from Peninsular Malaysia. An extensive list of bibliographical references, detailed information on habitat and distributional records, museum locations of type material are provided for each species. Amongst the listed species, 11 are recently discovered Malaysian species belonging to the genera Amakusanthura Nunomura, 1977, Apanthura Stebbing, 1900, Expanathura Wägele, 1981, Leptanthura G. O. Sars, 1897, Kupellonura Barnard, 1925, Pendanthura Menzies & Glynn, 1968 and Tinggianthura Chew, Rahim & bin Haji Ross, 2014. Our records were limited to shallow subtidal reefs of peninsular Malaysian coast, suggesting that the number of species in the list may rise with an extensive survey. The up-to-date checklist of marine Anthuroidea of the Peninsular Malaysia comprises 24 species in 12 genera and 5 families, including some new distributional data.

Este artículo contiene 12 páginas, 3 figuras., Hendersonida parvirostris sp. nov. is described from Papua New Guinea. The new species can be distinguished from the only other species of the genus, H. granulata (Henderson, 1885), by the fewer spines on the dorsal carapace surface, the shape of the rostrum and supraocular spines, the antennal peduncles, and the length of the walking legs. Pairwise genetic distances estimated using the 16S rRNA and COI DNA gene fragments indicated high levels of sequence divergence between the new species and H. granulata. Phylogenetic analyses, however, recovered both species as sister species, supporting monophyly of the genus., The study was partially supported by the projects of the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (CTM2014-57949-R and CTM2013-48163-C2). EM is part of the research group 2014SGR-120 of the Generalitat de Catalunya.

Background A survey has been carried out at four Israeli rocky sites to evaluate the diversity of the amphipod fauna on various hard substrates, still scarcely monitored, as potential pabulum for amphipod crustacean species. New information A survey of shallow rocky reefs along the Mediterranean coast of Israel recovered 28 species and integrated the Amphipoda checklist for the country ofIsrael with 12 newly-recorded species. Such renewed national list includes Maera schieckei Karaman & Ruffo, 1971, a rare species endemic to the Mediterranean Sea, recorded here for the first time from the southern Levant Basin. The species, described from specimens collected in the Tyrrhenian Sea in 1970, has been only recorded eight times within the whole Mediterranean Sea. A revision of the bibliography on the distribution and ecology of M. schieckei showed that, although mentioned only for the western Mediterranean basin by some authors, it is listed in the checklist of amphipods of the Aegean Sea and neighbouring seas and has been found in the eastern Mediterranean basin since 1978. Maera schieckei was rarely found in the Mediterranean, one of the most studied marine biogeographic region as concerns the amphipod fauna; and the species seems to prefer bays or gulf areas. The role of updating and monitoring faunal composition should be re-evaluated.

A new species of land-locked freshwater shrimp, Neocaridinafonticulatasp. n. (Atyidae), is described from Kenting, Hengchun Peninsula, Pingtung County, southern Taiwan. This new species can be distinguished from its congeners by rostrum structure, pereiopods, and male first and second pleopods. The molecular evidence of mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI) also supports the establishment of a new species. This is the third endemic species of Neocaridina known from Taiwan.

A report on the brachyuran crabs collected from the southwestern coast of India by the Indian research vessel FORV Sagar Sampada is presented. The material consists of 13 species from three genera and five families, of which four are new records for India: Heteroplaxmaldivensis (Rathbun, 1902) (Euryplacidae), Cryptopodiacollifer Flipse, 1930 (Parthenopidae), Thalamitamacrodonta Borradaile, 1903 (Portunidae), and Paraxanthodescumatodes (MacGilchrist, 1905) (Xanthidae). The cruise also obtained the first known male of Nectopanoperhodobaphes Wood-Mason in Wood-Mason & Alcock, 1891 (type species of Nectopanope Wood-Mason in Wood-Mason & Alcock, 1891), and its characters show that it is in fact a member of the Euryplacidae Stimpson, 1871. The genus had previously been incorrectly classified in the Xanthidae MacLeay, 1838.

The checklist of Tanaidacea of Greece was developed in the framework of the LifeWatchGreece Research Infrastructure (ESFRI) project and coordinated by the Hellenic Centre for Marine Research during the period 2013-2015. By applying the Greek Taxon Information System (GTIS) of this project, a complete checklist of species recorded from Greek Seas has been developed. The objectives of the present study were to update and cross-check all tanaidacean species known to occur in Greek Seas. Inaccuracies and omissions according to recent literature and the current taxonomic status were also investigated. The up-to-date checklist of Tanaidacea of Greece comprises 20 species, classified to 11 genera and five families.

Hendersonida parvirostrissp. nov. is described from Papua New Guinea. The new species can be distinguished from the only other species of the genus, H. granulata (Henderson, 1885), by the fewer spines on the dorsal carapace surface, the shape of the rostrum and supraocular spines, the antennal peduncles, and the length of the walking legs. Pairwise genetic distances estimated using the 16S rRNA and COI DNA gene fragments indicated high levels of sequence divergence between the new species and H. granulata. Phylogenetic analyses, however, recovered both species as sister species, supporting monophyly of the genus.

Four species of freshwater crabs from three genera and two families (CantopotamonhengqinenseHuang, Ahyong & Shih, 2017,NanhaipotamonguangdongenseDai, 1997,Nanhaipotamonmacausp. n., andSomanniathelphusazanklonNg & Dudgeon, 1992) are documented from Macau for the first time. One new species,Nanhaipotamonmacausp. n., is described. The large flap on the male first gonopod terminal segment sets it apart from all other known congeners exceptN.wupingenseCheng, Yang, Zhong & Li, 2003, from Fujian. Characters of the carapace, male first gonopod and size, however, clearly differentiate these two species. Preliminary genetic studies also suggest that the two are not closely related. A neotype is designated forN.wupingense. The taxonomic status ofNanhaipotamonguangdongenseis also discussed. Notes on the general biology and conservation status of these crabs are also included.

Terrestrial isopods are soil macroarthropods that have few known parasites and parasitoids. All known parasitoids are from the family Rhinophoridae (Insecta: Diptera). The present article reviews the known biology of Rhinophoridae flies and presents the first record of Rhinophoridae larvae on a Neotropical woodlouse species. We also compile and update all published interaction records. The Neotropical woodlouseBalloniscusglaberwas parasitized by two different larval morphotypes of Rhinophoridae. Including this new record, there are 18 Isopoda species known to be parasitized and 13 Rhinophoridae species with known hosts, resulting in 35 interactions. There are a total of 53 interaction records from Holarctic and Neotropical countries. Of the 18 known isopod hosts, only five species have more than one parasitoid, including the new Neotropical host record presented in this work.

Terrestrial isopods, as successful colonizers of land habitats, show a great variety in species distribution patterns on a global, continental, or regional scale. On a local, within-habitat level these patterns reflect the species’ tolerance limits and the presence of suitable hiding places (shelter sites, refugia). Humidity preference reflects a species’ capability for water retention which, in turn, depends on the integumental barrier. Desiccation resistance is a key feature in isopod survival under different environmental conditions. The present study shows a correlation between cuticle thickness and desiccation resistance under three relative humidity (RH) ranges (about 30, 75 and 100% RH) in nine species, relating these to the species’ differences in meso- and microhabitat choices. Habitat preferences are also associated with differences in cuticle surface morphology. The results support our hypothesis that species distribution and desiccation resistance are associated with particular cuticular morphological traits. Phylogenetic relations seem to be less important in desiccation resistance than cuticle thickness and external morphology.

Compositional changes in natural communities associated with anthropogenic influence often lead to localised extinctions and biodiversity loss. Soil invertebrates are also threatened by urbanisation due to habitat fragmentation, vegetation changes and management, soil alteration, degradation, and disappearing shelter sites. The aim was to assess terrestrial isopod (Oniscidea) assemblages in differently degraded urban forest patches of a metropolitan area (Budapest, Hungary). Study sites were compared by their species richness, composition and the relevant background factors (soil properties, dead wood, litter characteristics, and canopy closure). The degree of urban disturbance was expressed using an urbanisation index (UI) based on built-up density and vegetation cover. The isopods were identified to species level, and were qualified by their habitat preference and naturalness index (TINI). Average Rarity Index (ARI), derived from TINIs provided information on the degree of naturalness/disturbance of each habitat. Altogether 14 isopod species were collected from 23 sample sites. Urbanisation indirectly affected on the composition of isopod assemblages through the quantity of dead wood and soil plasticity. ARIs and UIs of sample sites were negatively correlated. Urban patches harboured habitat generalist, synanthropic and established introduced species with low naturalness value of assemblages. Areas with no or low anthropogenic disturbance maintained stable native, autochthonous assemblages that were characteristic of rural sites in the region. Transitional zones between rural and urban habitats usually maintained a mixed isopod fauna consisting of both urban and rural elements.