A new species of stygobiotic atyid shrimps of the genus Xiphocaridinella (Crustacea: Decapoda: Atyidae) from the Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti, with a new record of X. kumistavi from the Imereti, Western Georgia, Caucasus

Abstract

: An integrative approach resulted in a description of a new species of stygobiotic shrimps of the genus Xiphocaridinella Sadowsky, 1930 (Crustacea: Decapoda: Atyidae) from the southern part of the Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti Region of the Western Georgia (SW Caucasus). The area and caves, from which this species is recorded will be flooded during the construction of the Tvishi hydroelectric power plant and it is unknown whether it will be possible to find the species again. Xiphocaridinella lechkhumensis sp.n. is easily separated from the other species of the genus both morphologically and genetically, as evidenced by barcoding segments of the mitochondrial COI gene marker (barcoding). In addition, we discovered a new population of X. kumistavi Marin, 2017 in the Satevzia Cave from Imereti Region. This population genetically diverged from the type series from the Prometheus Cave by the barcoding gap of 2.4%. The genus Xiphocaridinella in the Colchis Valley of the SW Caucasus now encompasses 15 species.