Geothelphusa boreas, a new montane freshwater crab (Crustacea: Potamidae: Geothelphusa) from northeastern Taiwan, and the identity of G. hirsuta Tan amp; Liu, 1998.

A new freshwater crab is described from the montane area in northeastern Taiwan based on morphological and molecular evidence. Geothelphusa boreas sp. nov., from the Fushan Botanical Garden situated around New Taipei City and Yilan County, is distinct from similar congeners by the structure of the male first gonopod and the proportions of the male thoracic sternites. In addition, after comparing the holotypes of G. takuan and G. hirsuta Tan Liu, 1998, no substantial difference could be found. Molecular evidence from mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit I also supports the recognition of the new species and the conspecificity of G. hirsuta with G. takuan.

Geosesarmamirum, a new species of semi-terrestrial sesarmid crab (Crustacea, Decapoda, Brachyura) from central Taiwan.

A new species of semi-terrestrial sesarmid crab of the genus Geosesarma De Man, 1892, is described from central Taiwan. Geosesarmamirum sp. nov. is distinct in possessing a strong transverse crest on the inner surface of the male chela and a diagnostic male first gonopod which is relatively long and stout, with the distal chitinous part broad and spatuliform. Like most Geosesarma species, G.mirum sp. nov. has large eggs and direct development, contrasting with the only other species known from Taiwan, G.hednon Ng, Liu and Schubart, 2004, which has small eggs and planktotrophic larvae.

Dead shrimp blues: a global assessment of extinction risk in freshwater shrimps (Crustacea: Decapoda: Caridea).

We present the first global assessment of extinction risk for a major group of freshwater invertebrates, caridean shrimps. The risk of extinction for all 763 species was assessed using the IUCN Red List criteria that include geographic ranges, habitats, ecology and past and present threats. The Indo-Malayan region holds over half of global species diversity, with a peak in Indo-China and southern China. Shrimps primarily inhabit flowing water; however, a significant subterranean component is present, which is more threatened than the surface fauna. Two species are extinct with a further 10 possibly extinct, and almost one third of species are either threatened or Near Threatened (NT). Threats to freshwater shrimps include agricultural and urban pollution impact over two-thirds of threatened and NT species. Invasive species and climate change have the greatest overall impact of all threats (based on combined timing, scope and severity of threats).

Description of a new montane freshwater crab (Crustacea: Potamidae: Geothelphusa) from northern Taiwan.

A new freshwater crab is described from a montane area in northern Taiwan based on morphological characters and molecular evidence. Geothelphusa cilan sp. nov., from the Cilan Forest, situated on the boundary of Hsinchu and Yilan (= Ilan) counties, is close to G. monticola Shy, Ng & Yu, 1994, and G. takuan Shy, Ng & Yu, 1994, but can be distinguished by its male first gonopod (G1) and the ratio of thoracic sternites. Molecular evidence from mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI) also supports the identity of the new species.

A redescription of a rare axiid shrimp, Amakusaxius amakusanus (Miyake & Sakai, 1967) (Crustacea: Decapoda: Axiidea) from new material collected off Taiwan.

Miyake & Sakai (1967) described a new species of axiid shrimp, Calocaris (Calastacus) amakusana, from a single female specimen lacking a major cheliped. Later, Sakai & de Saint Laurent, 1989 transferred this species to their new genus Acanthaxius. However, Sakai (2011) recently established a new monotypic genus Amakusaxius to accommodate Acanthaxius amakusana. Since the original description no additional specimen of this rare species has been reported and consequently an appraisal of A. amakusanus (Miyake & Sakai, 1967) has not been possible. Now six specimens including three males and three ovigerous females have been collected from Taiwan. This has enabled the diagnostic characters of the species to be fully evaluated. The presence of a postcervical median carina on the carapace, weak armature on the major cheliped, and the morphology of the uropod are characters that distinguish Amakusaxius from Acanthaxius. Consequently the monotypic genus Amakusaxius Sakai, 2011 is retained.

A new record of the giant freshwater prawn, Macrobrachium spinipes (Schenkel, 1902) (Crustacea: Decapoda: Palaemonidae) from Taiwan, with notes on its taxonomy.

The giant freshwater prawn Macrobrachium spinipes (Schenkel, 1902) is recorded from Taiwan for the first time and extends the distribution of the species to north of the Tropic of Cancer. The Taiwanese specimens differ slightly from material from Indonesian Papua in the density of the spination of the adult second pereipods, the relative length of the ridge of the posterior submedian plate of thoracite sternite 4, and the color of the carapace, abdomen and pleural condyles.