FIRST RECORD OF THE GENUS XIPHOPENAEUS (SMITH 1869), THE ATLANTIC AND PACIFIC SEABOB SHRIMP Xiphopenaeus kroyeri (HELLER 1862), AND Xiphopenaeus riveti BOUVIER, 1907 (DECAPODA, PENAEIDAE) SOUTHEASTERN MEDITERRANEAN COAST OF EGYPT  

Amal Ragae Khafage*; Somaya Mahfouz Taha
National Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries,  Quiet Bey, Alexandria, Egypt.
Email address: amal_khafage@live.com
 

One hundred and one specimens of the seabob shrimp, genus Xiphopenaeus (Smith 1869), the Atlantic Xiphopenaeus kroyeri (Heller, 1862) and the Pacific Xiphopenaeus riveti (Bouvier, 1907), were caught by local fishermen within the period of July-November 2016, from Ma'deya shores, Abu Qir Bay, Alexandria, Egypt. The genus probably has been introduced to the Southeastern Mediterranean as a result for several factors, among which are the increase of maritime traffics and global warming. This is the first record of the closed thelycum penaeid genus Xiphopenaeus, the two species X. kroyeri and X. riveti in Egypt.

Keywords: Xiphopenaeus, Southeastern Mediterranean, Egypt.

 

Introduction. The Mediterranean Sea has been affected by several human activities, such as the construction of the Suez Canal, the Aswan High Dam, in addition to global warming, so many invertebrates were driven away from the warm waters of the Red Sea into the Mediterranean (Cheung  et. al., 2013)

The finding of Western Atlantic species is a more of an unexpected event. Herein we report the capture of the Western Atlantic X. kroyeri (Heller 1862), and the Pacific X. riveti (Bouvier, 1907) penaeid species, a genus, Xiphopenaeus, never before recorded in the Mediterranean Sea.

Materials and  Methods. During the routine monthly sampling of shrimp in the invertebrate lab, NIOF, Alexandria, Southeastern Mediterranean, Egypt, unfamiliar specimens were clearly observed among the indigenous penaeid shrimps. These species were caught from areas of Ma'deya shores off Alexandria coast. The collection went through taxonomic diagnosis and morphometric study.

Results and Discussion. The edible indigenous species of the shrimp commercial catch in Alexandria are Melicertus kerathurus (Forsskål, 1775) and Parapenaeus longirostris (Lucas, 1846) Penaeus semisulcatus (De Haan, 1844), Marsupenaeus  japonicus (Bate, 1888),  Metapenaeus monoceros (Fabricius, 1798), Metapenaeus stebbingi (Nobili, 1904), Trachysalambaria curvirostris (Stimpson, 1860)

(Fischer et, al, 1987) and   recently Meliceratus hathor (Burkenroad, 1959).  The collected specimens by this study were identified as genus Xiphopenaeus, Xiphopenaeus kroyeri (Heller, 1862) and Xiphopenaeus riveti (Bouvier, 1907). The genus Xiphopenaeus is characterized by long rostrum, with very elongate, styliform anterior part varyingly elevated and armed with only dorsal teeth (usually five) basally. Carapace with epigastric tooth situated posterior to the first rostral tooth. Longitudinal suture long, reaching about midlength of carapace. Last two pairs of pereopods are long, flageliform, with elongate multiarticular dactyls.  Petasma produced distolaterally in pair of relatively broad horns.  Thelycum  with plate of sternite XIV broad, protuberance of sternite XII quite short, and slit between them almost horizontal. The genus contains only two closely similar species (Burkenroad 1934b); the Atlantic and Pacific   seabob X. kroyeri, and X. riveti. The former has a maximum length, males, 115 mm; females,140 mm, and has a wide geographical range throughout the western Atlantic Ocean from North Carolina south through the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea to Santa Catarina, Brazil. The latter has a maximum length, females,170 mm, and has a range from Gulf of California, Mexico, to Paita, Peru ( Pérez Farfante, 1988).

References:

-Burkenroad 1934b, The Penaeidea of Lousiana with a discussion of their world relationships. Bull. Am. Mus. Nat. Hist. 68: 61-143.

-Fischer,W., Schneider M. & Bauchot, M. L.1987. Fiches FAO, identification des espèces pour les besoins de la pêche. Meditarranée et Mer Noire zone de  pêche 37. Revision I. Vol. I. végétaux T invertébrés.

-Pérez Farfante, I, 1988. Illustrated key to penaeoid shrimps of commerce in the Americas. NOAA Technical Report NMFS 64: 1-32.

-Cheung W, Watson R and Pauly D (2013) Signature of ocean warming in global fisheries catch. Nature 497: 365- 368.