Alpheus pacificus Dana, 1852

Dehghani, Amir, Sari, Alireza & Naderloo, Reza, 2019, Annotated checklist of the snapping shrimps of the genus Alpheus Fabricius, 1798 (Crustacea: Decapoda: Alpheidae) from the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman, Iran, Zootaxa 4544 (4), pp. 479-504 : 489

Alpheus pacificus Dana, 1852 sensu lato

( Fig. 6A –C )

Alpheus pacificus Dana, 1852a: 21 ; Dana, 1852b: 544; De Man, 1911: 427; Tiwari, 1963: 315; Banner & Banner, 1966a: 143; Banner & Banner, 1978: 227; Banner & Banner, 1982: 217; Banner & Banner, 1985: 26; Chace, 1988: 45. (?) Alpheus gracilidigitus Miers, 1884: 287 (According to Anker & De Grave, 2016)

Material examined. PG: 2 males, 1 ovig. female ( ZUTC 6673 ), Abu-Musa I., sandy/boulder shores, Coll. A. Dehghani, 10 Oct. 2017 ; GO: 2 males, 1 female ( ZUTC 6674 ), Chabahar Bay , Tis, under large rocks, Coll. A. Dehghani, 2 Oct. 2016 .

Distribution. Indo-Pacific: from South Africa to Red Sea and PG, GO to Japan, Australia, Hawaii, French Polynesia, Rapa Nui, Clipperton, Galapagos, and Mexico to Panama.

Regional records. PG and GO: Iran (present study).

Habitat. Sandy/rocky shores, usually under rocks or in dead coral branches, most common intertidally.

Remarks. This species is a challenging taxon and needs a thorough taxonomic revision. Our specimens exhibited three color patterns and marked variation in minor chela morphology. According to Anker & De Grave (2016), A. pacificus is composed of three genetically well-defined clades, each most likely corresponding to a distinct species. Most likely, molecular tools will be needed to clarify the status of our material.

Figures

FIGURE 6. Alpheus pacificus Dana, 1852. A. Male with elongated minor chela (CL. 7.6 mm); B. Pale colored male (CL. 8 mm); C. Brown male (CL. 7.9 mm), Tis, Chabahar Bay. Alpheus parvirostris Dana, 1852. D. Female (CL. 7.1 mm), Abu-Musa Island. Alpheus aff. paracrinitus Miers, 1881. E. Male (CL. 6 mm), Tis, Chabahar Bay. Alpheus splendidus Coutière, 1897, F. Male (CL. 8.9 mm), Hormuz Island.