Validation ofPalaemon audouiniHeller, 1861 (Crustacea: Decapoda: Palaemonidae), an overlooked species from the Red Sea

The shrimp speciesPalaemon audouiniHeller, 1861, described from the Red Sea, has long been considered anomen dubiumbut examination of the type material in the zoological collections of the Naturhistorisches Museum in Wien, Austria determined that it represents a valid species. It is morphologically close to the widespreadP. pacificus, but can be distinguished by the length of the chela of the second pereiopod in relation to the carpus, and details of the scaphocerite and rostrum. The knownPalaemonfauna of the Red Sea is briefly reviewed and reasons why the species could have been overlooked for so long are discussed.