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Khalfan M. Alrashdi

  • Biodiversity Journal, 13 (1): 0065-0071

    Michel R. Claereboudt & Khalfan M. Alrashdi
    Echinoderm Diversity in the Arabian Sea and the Sea of Oman
    https://doi.org/10.31396/Biodiv.Jour.2022.13.1.65.71

    ABSTRACT
    An extensive survey of most of the habitats of the coast of the Sultanate of Oman revealed an echinoderm biodiversity larger than anticipated. Survey dives were carried out in 5 regions of the Sultanate (Musandam, Capital area, Sur-Qalhat, Masirah and Dhofar) and all non-ophiuroid echinoderms were recorded. A total of 21 species of Holothuroids, 20 species of Echinoids, 6 Crinoids and 28 species of Asteroids were observed during the survey. The holothuroid Holothuria nobilis was observed for the first time north of the Red Sea and Holothuria arenacava, a burying sea cucumber, was observed near Muscat, the only other known population being from Kenya. In addition, the starfish Ferdina sadhensis was photographed life for the first time. Several specimens (2 holothuroids, 2 asteroids 3 crinoids and 1 echinoid), some quite abundant, could not be attributed to known species. We observed a significant shift in echinoderm community structure at Ras-Al-Hadd as a result of either major shift in environmental forcing factors or as a result of limited dispersal of species across this “bio-geographic barrier”.

  • Biodiversity Journal, 12 (4): 0799-0803

    Iman Alkharusi & Khalfan Alrashdi
    First record of sergestid shrimp, Challengerosergia umitakae (Hashizume et Omori, 1995) (Decapoda Sergestidae) collected from the Arabian Sea of Oman
    https://doi.org/10.31396/Biodiv.Jour.2021.12.4.799.803

    ABSTRACT
    Sergestid shrimps (Decapoda Sergestidae) are considered to be a bentho-pelagic shrimps. They basically feed on macrofauna and appear as an essential component of the deep-sea ecosystem. Such species are usually distributed in the deep sea. We report about a sergestid shrimp of the genus Challengerosergia Vereshchaka, Olesen et Lunina, 2014, C. umitakae (Hashizume et Omori, 1995) collected for the first time from the Arabian Sea of Oman. Challengerosergia umitakae has been identified based on male clasping organ, petasma, and photophores. Also, we provide a detail description of other distinctive body parts (e.g., carapace, scaphocerite and europods) of the recorded C. umitakae.