Platax 20: 01-05, 2023
doi: 10.29926/platax.202312_18.0001

A First record of the Ruby Mantis Shrimp Echinosquilla guerinii(Crustacea: Stomatopoda: Protosquillidae) in Taiwanese waters
Chia-Wei Lin1.2 and Shane-T. Ahyong3
1

National Museum of Marine Biology and Aquarium, 2 Houwan Rd., Checheng, Pingtung 944, Taiwan

2National Sun Yat-Sen University, 70 Lien-hai Rd., Kaohsiung 804201, Taiwan

3

Department of Marine Invertebrates, Australian Museum, 6 College St., Sydney, NSW 2010, Australia*

Corresponding author. Email: linchiawei@nmmba.gov.tw

AbstractThe genus Echinosquilla has been reported in Taiwan for the first time herein, extending
its distribution to the Northwestern Pacific Ocean. Only one species, Echinosquilla guerinii(White, 1861), belongs to this genus. Color illustrations and underwater habitat images
have been provided for this new Taiwanese record.
Keywords: biodiversity, mantis shrimp, new record, Taiwan.

Introduction

nets. The species of the family
Protosquillidae Manning, 1980 are uniquein their possession of a telson that has been
fused with abdominal somite 6. They
usually inhabit coral reef and subtidal hardsubstrate areas, and four genera have beenfound in the Indo-West Pacific region(Ahyong,2001);
however,
only
Haptosquilla glyptocercus has beenrecorded in Taiwan. Recently, someinteresting specimens collected from acoral reef survey in Xiao Liuqiu were
examined and revealed a new record of a
protosquillid mantis shrimp from Taiwan.
The species was typed as Echinosquilla

The mantis shrimps, or stomatopods,
are characterized by their greatly
developed second maxilliped, whichfunctions as a powerful raptorial
appendage. Mantis shrimp are adept
marine predators that can be found in awide range of habitats, from the shore
down to about 1,500 m (Ahyong et al.,2008). There are currently 69 species ofmantis shrimp known from Taiwanesewaters (Ahyong et al., 2008; Yeh & Hsueh,2010; Wang & Chiou, 2017; Ahyong &Lin, 2020; 2022) but most specimens havebeen collected by trawling or commercial1

Platax 20: 01-05, 2023
doi: 10.29926/platax.202312_18.0001

guerinii and is described in detail herein.
Examined specimens were deposited in theinvertebrate collection of the National
Museum of Marine Biology and Aquariumin Pingtung, Taiwan.

papilla and anteriorly directed dorsal andventral spines. Mandibular palp trisegmented. Propodus of raptorial claw
with spine movable proximally. AS1 withsmall articulated pleural plate anterolaterally. Posterior half of AS5 covered

Taxonomy Echinosquilla guerinii(White, 1861)with short, erect spines; posterior margin
lined with short, posteriorly directed

Figs 1-2
Gonodactylus guerinii White, 1861: 43, Pl.
7 (type locality: Fiji).−Kemp, 1913: 11,149, 192-193.
Gonodactylus guerinii.−Miers, 1880: 43.
Protosquilla guerinii.−Brooks, 1886: 75,Pl. 16: Figs. 1, 6.
Echinosquilla guerini.−Manning, 1969d:
155, Fig. 5.
Echinosquilla guerinii.−Manning, 1977c:
280.−Moosa, 1991: 165.−Manning, 1995:
21.−Ahyong, 2001: 99, Fig. 48.

spines; with postero-lateral spines. AS6
and telson dorsal surfaces entirely covered
with long, erect spines (& with soft apices).
Posterior margin of telson teeth separated
by deep V- or U-shaped concavities; innerand outer margins lined with slenderspines. Uropodal protopod with 3-4 dorsal
spinesproximally;

exopodproximal

segment’s outer margin with 8-9 movablespines; endopod with two dorsal carinae:
inner unarmed and outer with 5-7 erectspines.

Material examined
Xiao Liuqiu, Pingtung County, 14 May
2020: 3 females (TL: 57-68 mm;NMMBCD-5629). 09 March 2022: 1female (TL: 52 mm; NMMBCD-5630)

Color
Overall blood red, interspersed withwhite spots (Fig. 1). Carapace with ahorizontal white band in middle. Spine of
the telson brown to orange (basal part

Diagnosis

white). Uropod red to orange.

Rostral plate sharply trispinous, withlateral spines slender and directed antero-Distribution

laterally. Eye with cornea bilobed andWest Indian Ocean to Central Pacificflattened anteriorly. Antennule somite

and now northwards to Taiwan.

dorsal processes producing a short spinethat is concealed by the rostral plate.
Protopod of antenna with small ventral

2Platax 20: 01-05, 2023
doi: 10.29926/platax.202312_18.0001

Fig. 1. Echinosquilla guerinii (White, 1861): female, 67mm (NMMBCD5629), fresh
specimen, dorsal view.

Fig. 2. A. normal state of the ruby mantis shrimp in situ. B. when stressed or threatened,presenting an “urchin-like” appearance.

Remarks

surface that, when threatened, presents an

The telson of E. guerinii is round (Fig.

appearance (Fig. 2B) similar to that of a2A), with long dorsal spines over the entire

sea urchin (e.g., Echinometra); specifically,3

Platax 20: 01-05, 2023
doi: 10.29926/platax.202312_18.0001

it uses the telson and uropods to block the1910,

entrance to its burrow. The specimens

Lysiosquilloides Manning, 1977, fromfrom Taiwan were collected from a rocky

Taiwanreef setting down in the coral rubble zone,

Lysiosquilloidea).

and more than five individuals could be

61:12.

found in a small area. E. guerinii was given

Brooks,andanewspecies(Crustacea:W.K.

Stomatopoda:

Zoological

1886.

of

ReportStudiesonthethe local common name of “ruby mantis

Stomatopoda

shrimp” because its blood-red carapace

Challenger during the years 1873-76. The

resembles the color of a ruby, as well as

Voyage“Ruby” being the name of the diver who

Zoology 16:1-116, Pls. 1-16.

co-discovered this species locally with theofcollected
thebyH.M.S.

H.M.S.

Challenger,Kemp, S. 1913. An account of the Crustacea

lead author.

Stomatopoda of the Indo-Pacific region,
based on the collection in the IndianAcknowledgments

Museum. Memoirs of the Indian Museum

Sincere thanks are extended to our

4:1-217, Figs. 1-10, Pls. 1-10.

friend “Ruby” Jui-Jui Hsu for providing us

Manning,R.B.

1969.

Notesonthewith the luck needed to find thisGonodactylus section of the family

fascinating creature. This work was

Gonodactylidae

supportedStomatopoda), with descriptions of fourbyresearch

grantsfrom(Crustacea,Taiwan’s National Museum of Marine

newBiology and Aquarium.

Proceedings of the Biological Society ofgenera

andanewspecies.

Washington 82:143-166.

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