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Issue: Vol. 5763 No. 3: 4 Mar. 2026
Type: Article
Published: 2026-03-04
DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5763.3.2
Page range: 328-348
Abstract views: 22
PDF downloaded: 0

A new species of the ghost shrimp genus Neocallichirus Sakai, 1988 (Decapoda: Axiidea: Callichiridae) from Japan

Natural History Museum and Institute; Chiba; 955-2 Aoba-cho; Chuo-ku; Chiba; 260-8682 Japan.
Tropical Biosphere Research Center; Iriomote Station; University of the Ryukyus; 870 Uehara; Okinawa 907-1541; Japan.
Okinawa Prefectural University of Arts; 1-4 Shuri-Tounokura; Naha; Okinawa 903-8602; Japan.
Crustacea COI Neocallichirus ceratophthalmus Neocallichirus vaugelasi ontogenetic variation phylogenetic analysis 16S rRNA

Abstract

A new species of the ghost shrimp genus Neocallichirus Sakai, 1988 (Axiidea: Callichiridae), N. ceratophthalmus, is described from shoreline habitats of Japan, ranging from Izu Peninsula on the mainland Honshu to southern Ryukyu Islands. This new species is the third known of the genus in Japanese waters with certainty, and is morphologically most similar to N. vaugelasi Dworschak, 2011, currently known with certainty only from the Red Sea. Distinguishing features of N. ceratophthalmus sp. nov. are found in its third maxilliped, major cheliped, and male first pleopod. The study presents a thorough description of the species, encompassing information on its developmental stages, habitat preferences, and molecular phylogenetic analysis. The phylogenetic investigation utilizes data from two mitochondrial markers, specifically the COI and 16S rRNA genes.

 

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How to Cite

Komai, T., Naruse, T. & Fujita, Y. (2026) A new species of the ghost shrimp genus Neocallichirus Sakai, 1988 (Decapoda: Axiidea: Callichiridae) from Japan. Zootaxa, 5763 (3), 328–348. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5763.3.2