Parhippolyte cavernicola, new species (Decapoda: Caridea: Hippolytidae) from the tropical eastern Pacific, with taxonomic remarks on the genera Somersiella and Koror
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A new species of cave shrimp, Parhippolyte cavernicola, is described from the Gulf of California, Mexico. This new species closely resembles Somersiella sterreri from the Caribbean and western Atlantic, but is smaller in total length and has a shorter curved rostrum with fewer teeth. Specimens of the new species and S. sterreri from the Bahamas possess a podobranch on the second maxilliped, as well as an epipod. These features supposedly are absent in the genus Somersiella, and have been used to distinguish it from the related genus Parhippolyte. No other consistent distinguishing features of habitat, morphology, or color have been noted. Because of the lack of distinguishing features, the genus Somersiella Hart and Manning is considered to be a junior synonym of Parhippolyte Borradaile. Koror misticius Clark, considered to belong to a separate genus allied to Parhippolyte and Somersiella, lacks any unique characteristics that can be used to distinguish it as a genus.
