Updating changes in the Iberian decapod crustacean fauna (excluding crabs) after 50 years

Abstract

An annotated checklist of the marine decapod crustaceans (excluding crabs) of the Iberian Peninsula has been compiled 50 years after the publication of “Crustáceos decápodos ibéricos” by Zariquiey Álvarez (1968). A total of 293 species belonging to 136 genera and 48 families has been recorded. This information increases by 116 species the total number reported by Zariquiey Álvarez in his posthumous work. The families with the greatest species richness are the Paguridae (28) and Palaemonidae (18). References by geographic sectors and for all species are given. The results show that 264 species are reported in the Atlantic sectors, while 178 have been found in the Mediterranean. The species richness and the differences between and within sectors are discussed; these are mainly due to the dimension of the areas, the depth ranges and the confluence of distinct water masses with a different origin and different physicochemical features. Consequently, the greatest richness of decapod species (excluding crabs) is found in the Gulf of Cádiz, with 194 species. The total number of decapods found in and around Iberian waters, including crabs, freshwater species and some new records not yet published, reaches 448.