An unusual decapod crustacean is reported for the first time from the coasts of Galicia (NW Spain). A specimen of the rough spider crab Herbstia condyliata (Epialtidae) was caught in the port of Viveiro in 2022 with a crustacean trap, being the first record from Galician waters. The specimen was initially identified based on morphology and then validated by DNA barcoding. A review of the number of posterior lobes, taxonomic character for the species, has evidenced a significant degree of variation related with ontogenic development, ranging from one to four lobes. Several additional aspects of the morphology and distribution of the species are also briefly discussed. The differentiation capability of the DNA barcoding is tested for several genera within the family Epialtidae, and proposed as a useful tool to improve taxonomic knowledge of this group in future research.

ADC was partly financed by a grant to competitive reference groups from the Xunta de Galicia (ED431C 2019/28).

Peer reviewed