Miyakella nepa
Scientific Name:-
Miyakella nepaCommon Name:-
Smalleyed Squillid or Mantis Shrimp
Malayalam Name:-
Category:-
Mantis shrimps
Status:-
Not evaluated.
Description:-
Overall dorsal colour olive grey-green. Carinae and grooves of carapace, carinae and posterior margins of body somites dark green. Uropodal protopod with terminal spines pink; exopod distal segment dark blue-green distally; exopod proximal segment yellow with dark inner proximal infusion. Postero-lateral part of the carapace seen in the head broader than antero-lateral portion. Gastric grooves of the carapace distinct and extends the whole length of the carapace. Antero-lateral processes of the carapace are prominent. Postero-lateral parts of the carapace rounded. Distinct median carina present. Intermediate carinae restricted to the middle of the carapace. Median carina shows an anterior bifurcation and is pointed posteriorly. The fifth thoracic segment shows a pointed and curved spine antero-laterally. The sixth and seventh thoracic segments are large and bilobed. A rounded antero-lateral lobe is seen in the first abdominal somite. Telson nearly as long as broad, flattened dorsal surface pitted; median carina sharp, terminating in a spine; submedian, intermediate and lateral carinae, and pre-lateral lobe present. Denticles large and rounded. Eyes small, cornea bilobed.
Remark:-
This is the most common species in Kerala coast and are landed in huge quantities by the trawlers. This species is reported by several researchers from the Kerala coast (Sreelatha, 1989; Nair and Iyer, 1990; Bijukumar (2012).
Habitat:-
Level sand and mud substrates; shallow sublittoral to less than 25 m
Synonyms:-
Miyakea nepa (Latreille, in Latreille, Le Peletier, Serville & Guérin, 1828); Squilla edwardsi Giebel, 1861; Squilla nepa Latreille, 1828
References:-
Ahyong, S. (2014). Miyakella nepa (Latreille, in Latreille, Le Peletier, Serville & Guérin, 1828). Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=723698 on 2015-02-19
Biju Kumar, A. 2012. ‘Kerala Theerathe Kadal Jeevikal’ (Marine Animals of Kerala coast- A Field Guide). Kerala State Biodiversity Board, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, 304 pp. (In Malayalam)
Nair, A. K. K., and Iyer, H. K. 1990. A survey on the catches of squilla along Kerala Coast. Fish. Technol. Soc. Fish. Technol.,27, (2): 123-126.
Sreelatha, A. 1989. Studies on Stomatopods (Crustacea) of the South- West Coast of India, Ph. D Thesis, University of Kerala.
Sreelatha, A. and John, P.A. (1996.) Food and feeding habits of Oratosquilla nepa (Crustacea-stomatopoda). Journal of the Marine Biological Association of India, 38(1&2): 114-117.