An old species with a new identity: resurrection and updated distribution of Saron hemprichii (Heller, 1861) (Hippolytidae: Decapoda) from the Mediterranean and Red Sea

The semi-enclosed Mediterranean marine fauna encompasses Atlantic taxa and endemic species. Global warming, the marine aquarium trade, and Suez Canal expansion have profoundly altered this ecosystem, facilitating the introduction and establishment of Indo-Pacific alien species, particularly in the Eastern Mediterranean Basin. These alterations necessitate the re-evaluation of native and alien marine fauna, especially caridean shrimps, to assess the effects on local biodiversity. Here, we apply an integrative taxonomic approach combining both morphological and genetic analyses, to reassess the identity and phylogenetic position of the marbled shrimp Saron marmoratus from the Mediterranean and Red Sea. We reinstate Hippolyte hemprichii (originally described from the Red Sea), currently a synonym of S. marmoratus, as a valid species for these populations, confirming their close affinities and supporting the Suez Canal as the likely introduction vector. This study underscores the need for ongoing monitoring and comparative taxonomic assessments of Mediterranean caridean fauna to clarify population assemblages, their identities, and biogeographic connections to Indo-Pacific lineages.