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Currently, the superfamily Axioidea Huxley, 1879 includes nine families (Sakai, 2011). However, recent examination of material from the Gulf of Nicoya, Costa Rica, Pacific side, presented the occurrence of a new species, Neoaxius nicoyaensis gen. et sp. nov. The deviant morphology of the genital organs of this new species can nowhere be observed in any of the known genera of the families included in the Axioidea. This necessitated the author to establish a new family, Neoaxiidae fam. nov., based on the new genus Neoaxius gen. nov. The new family is safely included in the Axioidea as a tenth member of that superfamily. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The genus Parapenaeopsis Alcock, 1901 was divided into eight genera by grouping the species included, based on generic features, under Alcockpenaeopsis, Arafurapenaeopsis, Batepenaeopsis, Ganjampenaeopsis, Holthuispenaeopsis, Kishinouyepenaeopsis, Mierspenaeopsis, Parapenaeopsis (then sensu nov.) (Sakai & Shinomiya, 2011a, b). The genus Batepenaeopsis Sakai & Shinomiya, 2011 is currently known to include two species, B. tenella (Spence Bate, 1888) and B. venusta (De Man, 1907). However, in the present paper P. acclivirostris Alcock, 1905 from the Persian Gulf near Kuwait, and a new species, B. moresbyensis sp. nov. from the Central Province, Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, are presented as new members of the genus Batepenaeopsis Sakai & Shinomiya, 2011. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The genus Parapenaeopsis Alcock, 1901 auctorum (i.e., sensu lato) is herein distinguished to comprise a total of eight genera, seven of which are new, the eighth being the original genus Parapenaeopsis in a new sense, i.e., sensu stricto. The new classification is based predominantly on the various structures of the male petasma, with in addition the structures of the male 2nd pleopods as exhibited by the species comprised in the former, large genus. Brief diagnoses of all genera are given and a key to these genera is provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new species of penaeid, Metapenaeus motohi sp. nov. is described based on material from the Philippines. This new species is most closely similar to M. ensis (De Haan, 1844) from Japan in the morphology of the thelycum, but differs in that the rostral teeth mostly number 8-9, the P2, P3, and P5 are elongate, and the distal portion of the petasma forms a narrow lobule with a small genital pore. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three new species of the genus Megokris, M. manihine sp. n. and M. halli sp. n. from the South China Sea and the East China Sea, and M. motohburiorum sp. nov. from the Philippines, are described. In these three new species, the rostral teeth as well as the dorsal carinae on abdominal somites 2-6 are very similar to the corresponding structures in Megokris granulosus (Haswell, 1879) from Torres Strait, Queensland, and M. pescadoreensis (Schmitt, 1931) from Taiwan. However, the thelycum and petasma are characteristically different: in M. halli sp. n., the anterior plate of the thelycum bears a longitudinal middle protuberance, which is largely concave laterally in its middle region, and elevated with a round projection in its posterior part; and the anterior plate of the thelycum does not reach the posterior margin of the seminal receptacle. In M. manihine sp. n., the anterior plate of the thelycum bears a median longitudinal protuberance with a median ridge, the posterior part of which is conspicuously elevated with a pair of lateral swellings; the anterior plate of the thelycum does not reach the posterior edge of the seminal receptacle. In M. motohburiorum sp. n., the prominent median protuberance of thelycum is narrow in its anterior half and broadened with an elevation in its posterior half, while the posterior margin is rounded; the anterior plate of the thelycum is connected with the posterior edge of the seminal receptacle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two new penaeid shrimp, Megokris akademik sp. nov. and M. ghamrawyi sp. nov., are described from the Persian Gulf (= Arabian Gulf). These new species are most closely similar to M. granulosus (Haswell, 1879) from Darnley Island, Torres Strait, in the morphology of the thelycum, with an anterior median concavity, and in the petasma, with an anterolateral projection of an ox-horn shape, tapering at the tip, and directed forward. However, M. akademik and M. ghamrawyi differ from M. granulosus in the posterior margin of the anterior plate of the thelycum, which in the two new species is not fused with the posterior plate as it is in that latter species; also, in M. ghamrawyi the ventromedian process of the petasma has a rounded distal end, whereas in M. granulosus the petasma bears a triangular projection at the distal end of its ventromedian process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A comparison of the gastric mill in some representative species of the Thalassinidea, indicates that the Thalassinidea are possibly diphyletic, consisting of the superfamily Callianassoidea Dana, 1852, including the families Callianassidae Dana, 1852, Axiidae Huxley, 1879, Callianideidae Kossmann, 1880, Ctenochelidae Manning & Felder, 1991, and Gourretiidae Sakai, 1999, in which the propyloric ossicle is simple and has a smooth posterior surface; and the superfamily Thalassinoidea Latreille, 1831, including the Thalassinidae Latreille, 1831, Upogebiidae Borradaile, 1903, and Laomediidae De Haan, 1849, in which the propyloric ossicle is triangularly protruded downwards and has a series of fine, transverse septa on its posterior face. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unstudied callianassids available to Dr. Raphael Plante, collected in 1965-70 around Madagascar from the shallow waters to a depth of 1050 m, have been examined. Most specimens are small and heavily damaged, but they include interesting species of the families Callianassidae and Gourretiidae. Four species of callianassids had earlier been reported from the region around the Mozambique Channel, and in the present study three new species and two new genera of the family Gourretiidae, i.e., Laurentgourretia rhopalommata n. gen. and sp., Gourretia nosybeensis n. sp., and Paragourretia phuketensis (Sakai, 2002), n. gen. and three species of the family Callianassidae, Callianassa chakratongae Sakai, 2002, C. mocambiquensis n. sp., and C. plantei n. sp., are added to the known Madagascan fauna. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]