A new stygobiont species of Halocaridinides Fujino & Shokita, 1975 (Crustacea, Decapoda, Caridea, Atyidae) from caves on Socotra Island (Yemen), with notes on the genus

Researchers have identified a new species of stygobiont atyid shrimp, Halocaridinides, from the caves of Socotra Island, Yemen. This discovery marks the first atyid shrimp found in the Socotra Archipelago and the second species of this genus recorded from an Indian Ocean island. Unlike other Halocaridinides, this species inhabits non-anchialine environments, including subterranean brackish and freshwater systems. The new species exhibits notable morphological variability, with two distinct types: slender (tenuis) and robust (robustus). These variations may suggest local speciation or phenotypic plasticity. The study also provides an amended genus diagnosis and a key to all known Halocaridinides species, contributing to the understanding of their Indo-Pacific distribution and evolutionary origins.

FRANSEN, C. H. J. M., & DAMME, K. V. (2018). A new stygobiont species of Halocaridinides Fujino &; Shokita, 1975 (Crustacea, Decapoda, Caridea, Atyidae) from caves on Socotra Island (Yemen), with notes on the genus. Zootaxa, 4442(2). https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4442.2.3