A new species of Palaemonella (Decapoda, Caridea, Palaemonidae) associated with scleractinian corals of the genus Euphyllia Dana

Abstract

A new species of Palaemonella, P. sandyi sp. nov., is described on the basis of specimens collected in association with euphylliid scleractinian corals, Euphyllia glabrescens and E. cristata. Material was collected from the Maldives, Cebu in the Philippines, Semporna in Malaysia, and from Java, Bali, Sulawesi, Kalimantan, Ternate and Raja Ampat in Indonesia. The new species is similar to P. colemani and P. euphyllius, which are associated with euphylliid corals of the genus Fimbriaphyllia. The new species can be distinguished from P. colemani and P. euphyllius, as well as from the species P. philippinensis and P. smiti, which are both symbionts with plerogyrid scleractinians, on the basis of morphological characters in the rostrum and ambulatory pereiopods, colouration, and molecular data.