A new anchialine cave dwelling species of Potamalpheops Powell, 1979 from the Solomon Islands (Crustacea, Decapoda, Alpheidae)

Abstract

A new species of the alpheid shrimp genus Potamalpheops Powell, 1979 is described from an anchialine cave on Nggela Pile Island, Solomon Islands. Pota- malpheops nazgul sp. nov. belongs to the P. monodi (Sollaud, 1932) species group, defined by the presence of two pairs of cuspidate setae on the distal margin of the tel- son and feebly or non-enlarged chelipeds. The new species is morphologically closer to P. pininsulae Bruce & Iliffe, 1992 and it is characterised among others by the pres- ence of a well-developed antero-mesial tubercle on the eyestalk, a short rostrum with a dentate ventral carina, a toothed distal margin of first antennular segment and a non- strongly inflated carapace. The description of this new species raises the number of known species of Potamalpheops to fifteen