The Leopard Mantis Shrimp, Ankersquilla pardus, a new genus and species of eurysquillid from Indo-West Pacific coral reefs

Abstract

The mantis shrimp superfamily Eurysquilloidea Manning, 1977, with the single family Eurysquillidae Manning, 1977, contains six genera and 32 species, the majority of which occur in the Indo-West Pacific. Here, we describe a new species of eurysquillid, Ankersquilla pardus, from the central and western Pacific that cannot be assigned to any recognized genera, and, accordingly, propose a new genus for its reception. Ankersquilla pardus is unique in Eurysquilloidea in bearing three teeth on the dactylus of the raptorial claw. Similar raptorial claw armature is otherwise known only in the Parasquilloidea and Pseudosquillidae (Gonodactyloidea). All other eurysquillloids have four or more teeth on the dactylus of the raptorial claw. The most unusual aspect of Ankersquilla pardus, however, is the finely spinose posterior abdomen and telson, which resembles members of the Coronididae (Lysiosquilloidea). Although superficially similar to some coronidid lysiosquilloids, the ovate maxilliped 3–4 propodi, ventrally arising intermediate and lateral denticles of the telson, and form of the male pleopod 1 endopod show Ankersquilla pardus to be a eurysquilloid. Records of the Australian Museum a peer-reviewed open-access journal published by the Australian Museum, Sydney communicating knowledge derived from our collections ISSN 0067-1975 (print), 2201-4349 (online)