New Records Of The Indo-Pacific Shrimp Urocaridella Pulchella Yokes & Galil, 2006 From The Eastern Mediterranean Sea

Urocaridella pulchella Yokes & Galil, 2006 is a palaemonid cleaner-shrimp of Indo-Pacific origin that was first described from the Mediterranean Sea in 2006. However, limited information is available about its distribution and ecology due to the small size and cryptic habit of the species. We hereby report the first records of U. pulchella in marine caves and crevices of Greece, updating the species distribution that now spreads from the Levantine Sea to the South Aegean. Species identification was based on morphological examination and DNA barcoding of collected samples and in situ photographs. We also report on the fish cleaning behaviour of the species (based on observations of cleaning behaviour to the native Mediterranean moray eel, Muraena helena), the finding of an ovigerous-female and a wide distribution range, attesting to the establishment of the species in the area.