Report of Caridina babaulti Bouvier, 1918 (Crustacea: Decapoda: Caridea: Atyidae) and description of a new species Caridina kutchi sp. nov. from Gujarat, India.

This study aims to report the freshwater shrimps of the genus Caridina H. Milne Edwards, 1837, from the Indian state of Gujarat, which has a unique landscape and climatic conditions that form a significant environment for biological studies. Caridina babaulti Bouvier, 1918, is re-described with type specimens and fresh collections from Shetrunji River, Saurashtra Peninsula. Caridina kutchi sp. nov., is described from Khari River, Kutch Peninsula.

Genetic and Morphological Characterization of Freshwater Shrimps (Caridina africana Kingsley, 1882) Reveals the Presence of Alien Shrimps in the Cape Floristic Region, South Africa.

Morphological identification and molecular data (mtDNA COI) were used to resolve the taxonomic identity of a non-native freshwater shrimp in the Cape Floristic Region (CFR) of South Africa and to evaluate levels of genetic diversity and differentiation in the species' core natural distribution. The species was morphologically and genetically identified as Caridina africana Kingsley, 1882, whose main natural distribution is in the KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) Province, more than 1200 km from the point of new discovery. Subsequently, sequence data from natural populations occurring in seven rivers throughout KZN showed the presence of nuclear copies of the mtDNA COI gene (NUMTs) in 46 out of 140 individuals. Upon removal of sequences containing NUMTs, levels of genetic diversity were low in the alien population (possibly as a consequence of a bottleneck event), while varying levels of genetic diversity and differentiation were found in natural populations, indicating habitat heterogeneity, fragmentation and restricted gene flow between rivers. Following the present study, the alien shrimp has survived the Western Cape's winter and dispersed into a nearby tributary of the Eerste River System, hence posing an additional potential threat to endangered endemics. Understanding the biology of this alien species will aid detection and eradication procedures.

Caridina simoni Bouvier, 1904 (Crustacea: Decapoda: Caridea: Atyoidea: Atyidae) and the synonymy by Johnson, 1963.

Johnson (1963) attempted to review the 'Caridina nilotica complex' established by Bouvier (1925) and as a result considered several distinct freshwater shrimp species from Indo-West Pacific region as junior synonyms of C. simoni Bouvier, 1904. However, Tiwari and Pillai (1971) indicated the need to clarify the taxonomical status of the many synonyms created by Johnson (1963). Therefore, type and non-type specimens were examined for the present study including C. simoni Bouvier, 1904, C. gracilipes De Man, 1908, C. peninsularis Kemp, 1918, C. mccullochi J. Roux, 1926, C. meridionalis J. Roux, 1926 and C. novaecaledoniae J. Roux, 1926. These species were re-described, illustrated and their taxonomic status confirmed. The type series of C. mccullochi and C. meridionalis was found to comprise a number of already described Caridina species. In addition, three undescribed species were discovered in a series of specimens identified as C. meridionalis and one in material assigned to C. mccullochi.