A new species of the ghost shrimp genus Neocallichirus Sakai, 1988 (Decapoda: Axiidea: Callianassidae) from the southwestern Atlantic

ABSTRACT

A new species of ghost shrimp, Neocallichirus pinheiroi, is described based on specimens collected in subtidal habitats of Saquaira beach, northeastern coast of Brazil. This new species resembles N. lemaitrei Manning, 1993, but differs from it primarily in having a third maxilliped propodus expanded ventrally, and in the case of males, a large subtriangular tooth on the cutting edge of the major cheliped dactylus. Diagnostic features of the new species include: (i) frontal margin of carapace with rounded lateral projections not exceeding rostrum distal margin, (ii) third maxilliped carpus with row of sclerotized setae on median internal surface, (iii) minor cheliped with cutting edge of dactylus microscopically pectinate, (iv) endopod of male second pleopod with appendices interna and masculina. This is the seventh described species of the genus Neocallichirus from the western Atlantic and the fourth report of this genus in Brazil. A key for identification of western Atlantic species belonging to the genus is provided.

KEYWORDS:

• Macroinvertebrates
• burrowing shrimps
• intertidal zone
• sandy beaches
• Brazil
• American coast

Acknowledgements

The biological material analysed during the present study was collected with official collecting permission (#51578-1, 58845-1) given by ‘Sistema de Autorização e Informação em Biodiversidade’ (SISBIO) of the Brazilian Ministry of Environment (MMA). Finally, our special thanks are given to the taxonomists Tomoyuki Komai and Richard Heard, who helped improve the content and format of this manuscript.

Disclosure Statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

ORCID

Patricio Hernáez http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3785-2050

Amanda M. Windsor http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5192-7047

Caio Augusto Paula http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0209-4835

William Santana http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3086-4419

Additional information

Funding

The first author is grateful to ‘Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo’ (FAPESP) for providing funding in the form of a postdoctoral research fellowship (# 2015/09020-0).