A New Distributional Record and Taxonomic Descriptions of Mierspenaeopsis hardwickii (Miers, 1878) from the Arabian Sea on the Gujarat Coast, India

This study documents the first occurrence of Mierspenaeopsis hardwickii in the Dholai fishing harbour, Gujarat. The primary objective of this study was to identify and describe the Mierspenaeopsis hardwickii in the region. FAO standard keys were used in the identification and morphological analysis of the specimen. Despite extensive research along the Gujarat coast, studies on crustacean diversity are limited, and no previous reports mention Mierspenaeopsis hardwickii in South Gujarat region. This finding expands the known geographic distribution of the species and underscores the importance of further studies on its ecological and commercial impact along the Gujarat coast.