Crustaceans of Mermaid (Rowley Shoals), Scott and Seringapatam Reefs, north Western Australia

WA Museum Records and Supplements | Updated 7 years ago

ABSTRACT – The atolls on the north-western Australian continental shelf are recognised in having a diverse shallow-water fauna with many widely distributed Indo-West Pacific species. However, the crustaceans of these reefs are poorly known. A survey of the crustaceans of four of the reefs on these continental-shelf atolls (Mermaid, South and North Scott, and Seringapatam reefs) was conducted in 2006 by the Western Australian Museum, Perth. Identifications focused on the stomatopod and decapod crustaceans, although many species within these groups such as the galatheids, caridean shrimps, and stomatopods, are not yet fully identified. A total of 157 species were recorded, more than doubling the numbers of species previously recorded from these atolls. The number of species will increase with identification of the unidentified specimens. The Xanthidae (Brachyura) was the most diverse family at all reefs, which is typical of Australian coastal waters. Differences in the stomatopods and decapod assemblages among reefs and respective habitats are discussed.