New records of decapod crustaceans (Crustacea, Decapoda) in the central coast of Brazil supported by integrative analysis

The decapod fauna of the coast of Espírito Santo, southeastern Brazil, is poorly studied. Herein we report for the first time, for the region, the occurrence of eight species of crustaceans, representing an important contribution to the knowledge about the Brazilian biodiversity. The specimens were collected near the mouths of four estuaries (São Mateus, Ipiranga, Doce and Piraquê-Açú).

For identification of the newly recorded species, Apiomithrax violaceus (A. Milne-Edwards, 1867), Notolopas brasiliensis Miers, 1886, Speloephorus elevatus Rathbun, 1898, Acantholobulus caribbaeus (Stimpson, 1871), Hexapanopeus angustifrons (Benedict & Rathbun, 1891), Hexapanopeus paulensis Rathbun, 1930, Mesorhoea sexspinosa Stimpson, 1871 and Leander paulensis Ortmann, 1897, morphology was assessed using specific literature.

DNA barcoding was used as a complementary tool for the species identification. The present study fills many gaps in the geographic distribution of crustaceans in the Western Atlantic and will serve as an updated record and baseline for future studies along the Brazilian coast.