Relevant Synonyms - Misidentification - * Note : the taxonomic position of the species is under investigation.  photo : Bella Galil

SHORT DESCRIPTION Rostrum triangular, reaching near end of first antennular article, rostal carina extending to middle of carapace. Adrostral grooves marked. Merus of larger chelipeds interiorly serrulate, bearing apical spine on inner, outer margins. Outer margin of chela entire, not grooved, lacking longitudinal carinae. color : body dorsally greenish-brown with cream-colored longitudinal streaks, sides cream-coloured. Inner surface of larger chela greenish brown, fingers proximally turquoise and violet, distally pale yellow. Second pereopod distally violet. Antennular flagella yellow. Eggs green. common size : TL 6 cm. DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS Antero-dorsal spine on first cheliped merus terminal. BIOLOGY / ECOLOGY In Australia found to live in association with gobiid fishes (Banner and Banner, 1982). habitat : sandy-muddy bottoms, 5-80 m.

1st MEDITERRANEAN RECORD Israel, 1964 [1960]. DISTRIBUTION Worldwide : Indo-West Pacific, Southeastern Africa to Malay Archipelago. Mediterranean : recorded first from Israel (Lewinsohn and Holthius, 1964 [1960]); later recorded from southern Turkey (Kocatas, 1981a); Kusadasi Bay, Turkey, Aegean Sea (Özcan et al., 2007). ESTABLISHMENT SUCCESS Common along the Israeli coast. speculated reasons for success : - MODE OF INTRODUCTION Presumably via the Suez Canal. IMPORTANCE TO HUMANS None.

KEY REFERENCES Banner D.M. and A.H. Banner, 1982. The alpheid shrimp of Australia. Part III: The remaining alpheids, principally the genus Alpheus, and the family Ogyrididae. Records of the Australian Museum, 34(1-2): 1-362. Lewinsohn C. and L.B. Holthuis, 1964. New records of Decapod Crustacea from the Mediterranean coast of Israel and the Eastern Mediterranean. Zoologische Mededelingen, Leiden, 40(8): 45-63.   FEEDBACK / COMMENTS TO AUTHORS

Last update of the species sheet: October 2008 ©ciesm 2002