Phylogenetic Appraisal of Lysiosquillidae Giesbrecht, 1910, and a New Species of Lysiosquilloides Manning, 1977, from Taiwan (Crustacea: Stomatopoda: Lysiosquilloidea).

Abstract

The mantis shrimp family Lysiosquillidae includes the largest known stomatopods and presently includes three genera: Lysiosquilla Dana, 1852, Lysiosquillina Manning, 1995, and Lysiosquilloides Manning, 1977. Since 1995, new species assigned to all three lysiosquilloid genera have been recognised: Lysiosquilla manningi Boyko, 2000, Lysiosquillina lisa Ahyong & Randall, 2001, Lysiosquilla colemani Ahyong, 2001, Lysiosquilla suthersi Ahyong, 2001, and Lysiosquilloides mapia Erdmann & Boyer, 2003, and Lysiosquilla isos Ahyong, 2004. Lysiosquillina lisa, Lysiosquilla campechiensis Manning, 1962 and Lysiosquilla suthersi, however, proved problematical to assign to genera owing to the possession of characters intermediate between Lysiosquilla sensu stricto and Lysiosquillina sensu stricto. In particular, species that are transitional between Lysiosquilla and Lysiosquillina challenge the validity of the latter genus. Here, we reassess the status and composition of the lysiosquillid genera by cladistic analysis of all known species in the family. Lysiosquillina is synonymized with Lysiosquilla and a new species of Lysiosquilloides is described from Taiwan. A key to the species of Lysiosquilloides is provided.