Two unusual species of alpheidae (Decapoda: Caridea) associated with upogebiid mudshrimps in the mudflats of Taiwan and Vietnam

Abstract

Descriptions are provided for Athanas dentirostris, new species, and Chelomalpheus crangonus, new species, two alpheid shrimps collected from the burrows of the upogebiids Upogebia aff. takaoensis Sakai and Türkay, 1995, and Upogebia edulis Ngoc-Ho and Chan, 1992. respectively. Athanus dentirostris, known only from northern Vietnam, is unique among all Alpheidae in having the superior margin of the rostrum dentate. Adult males of C. crangonus are immediately recognizable by the peculiar, subcheliform first pereiopods, which show superficial resemblance to the chelipeds of Crangonidae.