First record of Naxioides robillardi (Decapoda: Epialtidae) and COI gene sequencing from southern Oman’s Coast

Abstract

This study documents the first occurrence of the deep-sea spider crab Naxioides robillardi (Miers, 1882) along the southern coast of Oman in the Arabian Sea. Three specimens were collected off the Dhofar region near Mirbat and identified as N. robillardi form mammillata through morphological and molecular analyses. DNA barcoding of the COI gene confirmed the identification with 100% similarity to known sequences. This finding expands the known geographic range of this species to include the Arabian Sea coastline of Oman. This discovery highlights the importance of exploring marine biodiversity in the Arabian Sea and contributes to our understanding of deep-sea species geographic distribution.