Collection of stomatopod larvae unveiled the existence of an undescribed genus in Lysiosquillidae around Japanese waters

Abstract

Stomatopods are important aquatic resources particularly in the Asian region. Information brought by wild-caught larvae is useful to evaluate stomatopod biodiversity as well as to manage natural resources. Nevertheless, species identification of stomatopod larvae using morphological characteristics is still difficult even at the superfamily level. This work used DNA barcoding of the 16S rRNA and CO1 genes to identify five stomatopod larvae collected at four different locations around Japan. Molecular phylogenetic analysis revealed that all five larvae belong to the same species and form a clade within the family Lysiosquillidae Giesbrecht, 1910, but separated from the two known genera of this family. This result suggests that an undescribed genus exists in the family Lysiosquillidae. Morphological characters of these larvae were described and illustrated, including some diagnostic characteristics of the superfamily Lysiosquilloidea Giesbrecht, 1910.