Two new species ofClausidiumcopepods (Crustacea, Poecilostomatoida) associated with ghost shrimps from Iran

Abstract

Two new species of Clausidium copepods were collected on the bodies of ghost shrimps from the Iranian coast of the Gulf of Oman. Clausidium makranensis sp. nov. and Clausidium sarii sp. nov. are described from the large chelipeds of Neocallichirus natalensis and Corallianassa martensi, respectively. Clausidium makranensis sp. nov. is distinguishable from its congeners by the unique anal somite that is armed with sclerotized hooks on each side. Clausidium sarii sp. nov. can be differentiated from its congeners by the armature and shape of leg 5.

First record of ghost shrimp Corallianassa coutierei (Nobili, 1904) (Decapoda: Axiidea: Callichiridae) from Indian waters

“…The cavity between the shell and body of the ghost shrimp can be a favourable site for these associated arthropods. Only a few accounts on the copepods of ghost shrimps have been described and recorded worldwide (Pillai 1959;Corsetti & Strasserm 2003;Kihara & Rocham 2013;Sepahvand et al 2017aSepahvand et al ,b, 2019. From India Pillai (1959) had recorded and described two new species of Clausidium Kossmann, 1874 parasitic on J TT Callianassa Leach, 1814(in Leach, 1813-1815.…”

“…Cheliped is slenderer in C. longiventris with triangular carpus, whereas the carpus is rectangular in C. coutierei. Sepahvand et al (2017a) reported two species of copepods, Clausidium makranensis Kihara, 2018 andC. sarii Sepahvand &Kihara, 2018 from Neocallichirus natalensis (Barnard, 1947) and Corallianassa martensi (Miers, 1884), respectively.…”