The mantis shrimp superfamily Eurysquilloidea confirmed from Taiwan: Liusquilla taiwanica gen. et sp. nov.

Abstract

Abstract Prior to the present study, the mantis shrimp superfamily Eurysquilloidea Manning, 1977, with the single family Eurysquillidae Manning, 1977, contained six genera and 32 species, most of which occur in the Indo-West Pacific. A new genus and species of eurysquilloid, Liusquilla taiwanica, recently discovered off southeastern Taiwan, is described herein, constituting the first record of the superfamily from the island. Sixty-eight species in six of the seven stomatopod superfamilies are now known from Taiwan. Liusquilla differs from other eurysquillids in the combination of four teeth on the dactylus of the raptorial claw and form of the eye and ocular scale. Liusquilla is possibly most closely related to Sinosquillla Liu & Wang, 1978, based on eye form and in the similarly ornamented, densely spinose telson and abdominal somite 6. A key to the eurysquillid genera is provided.