An updated checklist of shrimps on the Indian coast

Abstract

This study reports an updated checklist of marine shrimps found along the Indian coast, including the Lakshadweep and the Andaman & Nicobar Islands. A total of 364 species classified under 128 genera belonging to the order Decapoda is reported, thus adding 27 species to the existing checklist of 337 species. Marine shrimps are classified under two suborders of the order Decapoda, viz., Dendrobranchiata and Pleocyemata, and the two suborders account for 155 (42.6 %) and 209 species (57.4 %) of these 364 species, respectively. Pleocyemata is represented by three infraorders, viz., Axiidea, Caridea and Stenopodidea, while Caridea has a maximum of 199 reported species. Among the 12 superfamilies, Penaeoidea contributed to 38.13% (135 species) followed by Paleaemonidea with 18.07% (64 species). All other superfamilies were found to contribute less than 12%. Superfamilies, Bresilloidea and Psalidopodoidea had only single species representatives (0.28% each). The final list was compiled after reviewing all existing literature including monographs, catalogues, checklists, websites and fishery reports. The scientific names were validated with the World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS) database. A total of 25 issues were identified from the previous checklist out of which 19 species have been updated with the correct, accepted names and six species have been removed from the previous list.

On Plesionika persica (Kemp, 1925) and P. reflexa Chace, 1985 (Crustacea: Decapoda: Pandalidae) from India

“…It is likely that all previous reports of P. ensis from India (e.g. Alcock & Anderson, 1899;Alcock, 1901;George 1966;Suseelan & Mohamed 1968;Suseelan 1974;Kurup et al 2008;Rajool Shanis et al 2012;Radhakrishnan et al 2012;Samuel et al 2016) represented the present form. Examination of more specimens from India, as well as the other parts of the Indian Ocean, will be necessary to fully understand the development of pereiopodal epipods and the variations in the length of the dactyli of the posterior pereiopods in the Indian Ocean material.…”

First record of deep-sea caridean shrimp Acanthephyra fimbriata Alcock & Anderson, 1894 (Crustacea: Decapoda: Acanthephyridae) from southwest coast of India

“…The members of the genus are described to have pelagic life style and occur precise on mesopelagic and bathypelagic zones of ocean, inhabits mainly in deep waters from 37 to 5394 m depth (De Man 1920;Springer & Bullis 1956;Crosnier & Forest 1973;Chace 1986;De Grave & Fransen 2011;Cardoso 2013;Alves-Júnior et al 2016). The Acanthephyra fauna of India has been poorly investigated, till date only five species were recorded under this genus viz., A.armata A. Milne-Edwards, 1881, A. eximia Smith, 1884, A. curtirostris Wood-Mason & Alcock, 1891, A. sanguinea Wood-Mason & Alcock, 1892 and A. fimbriata Alcock & Anderson, 1894(Alcock 1901Radhakrishnan et al 2012;Radhika Rajasree 2011;Samuel et al 2016). A. fimbriata in India previously recorded off Madras at 869 m, Andaman Sea at 741 m and off Goa at 1023 m of depth from southern coast (Alcock &Anderson 1894;Chace 1986).…”

Further records of the deep-sea pandalid shrimp Heterocarpus chani Li, 2006 (Crustacea, Decapoda, Caridea) from southern India

“…Heterocarpus gibbosus has long been reported from India (e.g., Wood-Mason and Alcock 1892, Alcock 1901, Kemp and Swell 1912, George and Rao 1967, Suseelan 1976, Radhakrishnan et al 2012, Samuel et al 2016, see also synonymy list in Fransen 2006) and now forms a major part of the catch in the deep-sea fisheries of India (e.g., Rajan et al 2001, Kurup et al 2008, Radhika Rajasree and Madhusoodana Kurup 2011, Rajool Shanis et al 2012, 2014). However, recently a brief local technical report recorded H. chani from southern India (Kuberan et al 2015).…”