Abstract

The presence of caprellid amphipod, Caprella scauroides is confirmed for the first time from New Zealand waters through two separate sample submissions received by the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) Marine Invasives Taxonomic Service (MITS) during May 2017, both from Ōkahu Bay, Waitematā Harbour, from swing mooring ropes. A subsequent report (November 2017) recorded the species from the Whāngārei Harbour Marine High Risk Site Surveillance (MHRSS) survey. Caprella scauroides, non-indigenous to New Zealand, is morphologically similar and closely related to the known invasive, Caprella californica, with which it is often confused. Caprella scauroides from New Zealand is described in detail using both morphological and molecular methods.