Verification of a pseudocryptic species in the commercially important tiger prawn Penaeus monodon Fabricius, 1798 (Decapoda: Penaeidae) from Aceh Province, Indonesia

Abstract

A pseudocryptic form of the commercially important prawn Penaeus monodon from Aceh Province, Indonesia was recently named Penaeus acehensis based solely on coloration, number of rostral teeth, and unspecified mitochondrial genome sequence differences from P. monodon and other species of Penaeus sensu lato. Penaeus acehensis, however, is unavailable on account of not fulfilling the numerous provisions of Articles 8 and 16 of the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature. Comparisons between the Aceh form and an extensive series of P. monodon from various Indo-West Pacific localities revealed that the former is morphologically distinct in having a relatively longer rostrum, shorter adrostral carina, and longer hepatic carina. Barcoding genetic analysis also supports the specific status of the Aceh form. By examining the types or topotypic material of all the synonyms in P. monodon, and selecting a lectotype for Penaeus caeruleus and neotypes for P. Manilensis de and P. durbani , no available name is applicable to the Aceh species, which is named. The Aceh species is hereby named Penaeus simplex sp. nov. for its body lacking a banded color pattern, which is very characteristic compared to the closely related species, P. monodon.