Abstract
In recent years the systematic position of genera in the shrimp families Gnathophyllidae and Hymenoceridae has been under debate, with phylogenetic studies suggesting the families are not real family level units. Here, we review the molecular evidence as well as the morphological characters used to distinguish both families, leading to the conclusion that neither family is valid. Further, we studied the structural details of the single morphological character which distinguishes the two subfamilies (Palaemoninae, Pontoniinae) in Palaemonidae, as well as their phylogenetic relationship. As the supposed character distinction plainly does not hold true and supported by the phylogenetic results, the recognition of subfamilies in Palaemonidae is not warranted. As a consequence, all three supra-generic taxa (Gnathophyllidae, Hymenoceridae, Pontoniinae) are thus herein formally synonymised with Palaemonidae.
Highlights
In recent years, the higher level of systematics of caridean shrimps has seen considerable changes at subfamily, family and superfamily level, but not without controversy
We were looking for genetic markers for which there were data from all seven palaemonoid families (Anchistioididae, Desmocarididae, Euryrhynchidae, Gnathophyllidae, Hymenoceridae, Palaemonidae, Typhlocarididae) and for which there was good coverage of genera of the two subfamilies within Palaemonidae (Palaemoninae, Pontoniinae)
The four markers that had the best coverage across all taxa were the mitochondrial 5’ cytochrome c oxidase I (COI), mitochondrial 16S ribosomal DNA (16S), nuclear Histone 3 (H3) and nuclear 18S ribosomal DNA (18S)
Summary
The higher level of systematics of caridean shrimps has seen considerable changes at subfamily, family and superfamily level, but not without controversy. To take but one example, Bracken, De Grave & Felder (2009) suggested that the family Oplophoridae could be polyphyletic, this study only included 4 genera (out of 10). Aznar-Cormano et al (2015) in a wide-ranging analysis with coverage across all caridean families, recovered both families as distinct lineages with high support, but with poorly resolved relationships between them. Despite such problems, currently 39 families of caridean shrimps are recognised (De Grave & Fransen, 2011; Baeza et al, 2014; De Grave et al, 2014).
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