ALIEN MARINE DECAPOD CRUSTACEANS IN THE CARIBBEAN: A REVIEW WITH FIRST RECORD OF Athanas dimorphus ORTMANN, 1894 (CARIDEA: ALPHEIDAE)

Abstract

The presence of marine alien species of decapod crustaceans in the Caribbean Sea is reviewed on the base of scientific records, with special emphasis to the Caribbean coast of Venezuela. Additionally, the presence of Athanas dimorphus, an Alpheidae shrimp from the Indo-West Pacific, previously reported in the western Atlantic on the Brazilian coast, is recorded for the first time in the area. With this finding, we confirm that Penaeus monodon, Callinectes arcuatus, Charybdis helleri, Rhithropanopeus harrisii and Athanas
dimorphus are the only decapod crustaceans with wild populations already established in the Caribbean Sea.