Recognizing two new Hippolyte species (Decapoda, Caridea, Hippolytidae) from the South China Sea based on integrative taxonomy

Hippolyte shrimps exhibit abundant biological diversity and display great ecological significance in seaweed bed ecosystems. Dozens of Hippolyte specimens were collected from Hainan Island and the Xisha Islands in the South China Sea. Detailed examination indicates that some of these specimens represent new Hippolyte species. Based on morphological, genetic, and ecological data, Hippolyte chacei sp. nov. and H. nanhaiensis sp. nov. are described. H. chacei sp. nov. was collected from the Sargassum sp. biotope in Hainan Island and is distinguished from congeners by its unique mandible and the dactylus of the third to fifth pereiopods; this species has a basal position in the Indo-West Pacific species clade in the phylogenetic tree which is reconstructed based on 16S rRNA gene. H. nanhaiensis sp. nov. was collected from the biotopes of Galaxaura sp. or Halimeda sp. in the Xisha Islands, and it differs from congeners in a series of characters associated with rostrum, scaphocerite, antennular peduncle, and spines on the dactylus of the third to fifth pereiopods. Additionally, it is sister to H. australiensis in the phylogenetic tree. A key to identifying mature female Hippolyte species of the Indo-West Pacific and neighboring seas is provided