Burrowing lobsters mostly from shallow coastal environments in Papua New Guinea (Crustacea: Axiidea: Axiidae, Micheleidae)

Abstract

Poore, G.C.B. 2018. Burrowing lobsters from shallow coastal environments in Papua New Guinea (Crustacea: Axiidea: Axiidae, Micheleidae). Memoirs of Museum Victoria 77: 1–14. Surveys of coral reefs and associated habitats have discovered nine species of Axiidae and one of Micheleidae in Papua New Guinea. Only the micheleid is new to science. The collection provides an opportunity to provide colour photographs of some and to revisit their taxonomy. Two species are synonymised with others: Alienaxiopsis lizardensis Sakai, 2011 with A. clypeata (De Man, 1905) and Allaxiopsis bougainvillensis Sakai, 2011 with Axiopsis Picteti var. spinimana De Man, 1905, now Allaxiopsis spinimana (De Man, 1905). Axiopsis pica Kensley, 2003 is recognised as distinct from A. serratifrons, with which it co-occurs. Michelea papua sp. nov. is described as new.