Revision of the west african species of scyllarus fabricius, 1775 (Decapoda: Achelata: Scyllaridae), with the description of three phyllosoma stages of S. caparti holthuis, 1952 and an updated identification key

Abstract

West African species of Scyllarus Fabricius, 1775 (Achelata, Scyllaridae) are poorly known, mostly due to the difficulties of sampling Eastern Atlantic tropical waters. Recent expeditions carried out by the Universidad de Cádiz and the Instituto Español de Oceanografía collected phyllosoma larvae from Cape Verde Islands (CVI) and fresh Scyllarus adults from continental West Africa. Larval stages VII, IX, and X (final stage) of S. caparti Holthuis, 1952 are analyzed using DNA barcoding methods and described for the first time. A comprehensive identification key is provided, summarizing our current knowledge on the phyllosomas of Scyllarus. Together with a revision of museum collections, the new molecular and morphological data obtained here supports the polyphyletic origin of Acantharctus Holthuis, 2002. The West African A. posteli (Forest, 1963) is found to belong to Scyllarus and it is closest to another species from Atlantic shallow waters (i.e. S. paradoxus Miers 1881), whereas the Pacific Ocean A. delfini (Bouvier, 1909) would belong to Crenarctus Holthuis, 2002.