The present study aimed to evaluate the current state of knowledge of marine and estuarine shrimp species from the suborder Dendrobranchiata and the infraorders Stenopodidea and Caridea, considering their diversity and distribution along the North and Northeast Brazilian coast (N/NE). The number of reported species rose from 124 to 169 since the Paulo S. Young’s Catalogue of Crustacea of Brazil, put out in 1998, which means an increase of 36.3%.  Pernambuco (89 species) and Bahia (68 species) are the states that present the highest shrimp diversity, accounting for 53% and 40.5% of the total species registered for the N/NE regions, respectively. On the other hand, the states of Sergipe (21 species) and Piauí (13 species) contributed with only 12.5% and 7.7% of the total species registered at the moment.

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Lysmata arvoredensis sp. nov. inhabits temperate waters in the south coast of Brazil and is named in tribute to the Marine Protected Area REBIO Arvoredo. This is the fourth species belonging to the genus Lysmata recorded for the region and the ninth for Brazil. L. arvoredensis sp. nov. can be distinguished from other species of Lysmata by the presence of a nearly completely fused accessory branch with a single free unguiform segment on the outer antennular flagellum; a rostrum with seven dorsal (2+5) and three ventral teeth; a stylocerite with a pointed tip bearing mesial setae; a second pereiopod with 22–24 carpal subsegments and 14–16 subsegments in the merus; a merus of the third pereiopod with five ventrolateral and 12 ventral spines on the propodus; and its color pattern, with red bands and patches in pleonites 2–3 that resemble a mask in dorsal view. Molecular characters demonstrate that L. arvoredensis sp. nov. is most closely related to other species of Lysmata belonging to the Neotropical and Cleaner clades. To support future ecological studies in the region, identification keys to the species of Lysmata recorded in the southwestern Atlantic Ocean are provided.

Genetic analysis divides Panulirus argus into two different species, physically separated by the Amazon-Orinoco plume since the Last Glacial Maximum. Panulirus argus sensu stricto is distributed north of this biogeographic barrier and the second species to the south, occurring in Brazil. The Panulirus species in the Atlantic Ocean are being overfished and the standing stocks are unknown and still not considered endangered or threatened due to a deficiency of precise abundance data. The lack of data makes it impossible to undertake an effective conservation and management policy. In order to assist in the future management and conservation of the Spiny Lobster in the Atlantic Ocean and particularly for the indigenous species from Brazilian waters, this study formally recognizes and describes a new species, Panulirus meripurpuratus sp. nov., for what was previously known as P. argus in Brazilian waters, and differentiates it from Panulirus argus from North American waters and the Caribbean Sea. The work also presents an overview of the biogeographic distribution of the species and presents two identification keys to Atlantic species, one based on morphology and the other on live colouration.

This study investigated the composition and spatial distribution of the sublittoral decapods on the reefs of Porto de Galinhas Beach, southern coast of Pernambuco, Brazil, through the Underwater Visual Census technique. Data were collected monthly, at night during full-moon tides in low tide periods from June 2004 to May 2005, using SCUBA diving and a visual census with a fixed belt transect (20 m long). Three sampling areas were defined: Confined Waters (low hydrodynamics) with shallow sites (up to 2.5 m deep); Semi-open Water (3 to 6 m deep), influenced by waves and tidal currents (moderate hydrodynamics); and Open Water (7 to 10 m deep), in the breaker zone (high hydrodynamics). A total of 6,287 individuals of 34 species belonging to the infraorders Brachyura (19 species), Achelata and Anomura (5 species each), Caridea (3 species), and Stenopodidea and Astacidea (1 species each) were collected. Two decapod assemblages were distinguished: in a habitat with low hydrodynamics and shallow (Confined) water; and in a habitat with moderate to high hydrodynamics and depths of 3 to 10 m (Semi-open and Open water). At the sites with high hydrodynamics, i.e., the Open-water Area in the breaker zone, decapod diversity was significantly lower than in the other, protected areas on the reef bench. These results suggest that the distribution of subtidal decapods on coastal reefs is influenced by depth and exposure to water stress caused by waves and currents (hydrodynamics). The visual census technique with SCUBA proved to be suitable for ecological studies on subtidal decapods.

h i g h l i g h t s• The significance and importance of scientific diving to study decapods. • Scientific diving allows access to specific decapod assemblages.• The most endangered trade decapods can be targeted on nocturnal dives. • We present an ecological database for subtidal and intertidal decapods. • The first ecological baseline data for decapods in the tropical coastal reefs. a b s t r a c tDecapods play a crucial role within the reef ecosystem and the development of scuba diving as a survey tool has allowed researchers the opportunity to study the decapod-reef relationship more comprehensively. The present study describes the differences in decapod assemblages in intertidal and subtidal zones at a tropical coastal reef system in the southwestern Atlantic Ocean and reports the importance of scuba diving as a survey technique. A total of 71 decapods were recorded during the research; 42 in the intertidal zone mainly formed by small endobenthic species and 39 in the subtidal zone primarily large species only 10 were found to frequent both sample zones. The study extends the range of Brachycarpus holthuisi Fausto Filho 1966 in Brazil; and also demonstrates how scuba diving can be used to complement traditional methodologies and vice versa. The research shows the advantages of using scuba diving when studying trade endangered decapods, as the methodology allows access to cryptic habitats such as reef caves and underwater cavities which were inaccessible when using traditional techniques. In conclusion scuba diving represents a revolutionary non-destructive survey tool allowing the researcher to directly access a specific decapod assemblage in fragile reef environments and in protected marine areas.

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