MarBEF

Shane Ahyong has been an editor and promoter of WoRMS since 2008 and is responsible for several major groups of Crustacea: Syncarida, Palaeocaridacea, Hoplocarida and Decapoda (including Lithodoidea and Polychelida). He is an advocate for more stringent use of accurate and referenced taxonomic (and adjacent) information in global databases, where WoRMS can be a leading example. Research interests span living and fossil taxa, invasive species and incorporation of phylogenetic information into formal classifications. He is currently Chief Scientist at the Australian Museum and Professor (Adjunct) at the University of New South Wales, with more than 370 published papers and book chapters, many of which are substantial revisions, including a recent co-authored monograph - Marine Decapod Crustacea: a guide to the families and genera of the world (CSIRO Publishing). In addition to WoRMS, Shane also serves on several bodies dealing with international global species name standards, including the International Commission of Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN). He is a past-president of The Crustacean Society, an editor Zootaxa, a Commissioner on the International Commission of Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN) and the current Chair of the WoRMS Steering Committee.

Taxonomic terms: Lithodoidea Samouelle, 1819 [WoRMS]; Polychelida [WoRMS]; Stomatopoda [WoRMS]

Boyko, C.B.; Ahyong, S.T. (2025). On the publication date of Sphaeroma Bosc, 1801 (Crustacea: Isopoda). Zootaxa 5647(5): 496-498. https://dx.doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5647.5.8
Horton, T.; Rabone, M.; Ahyong, S.T.; Bieler, R.; Boyko, C.B.; Brandão, S.N.; Paulay, G.; Simon-Lledó, E.; Boydens, B.; Decock, W.; Dekeyzer, S.; Delgat, L.; Vanhoorne, B.; Vandepitte, L. (2025). Tackling temporary names: interim solutions for the taxonomic impediment. Mar. Biodiv. 55(5): 76. https://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s12526-025-01559-4
Vandepitte, L.; Dekeyzer, S.; Decock, W.; Delgat, L.; Boydens, B.; Tyberghein, L.; Vanhoorne, B.; Hernandez, F.; Mees, J.; Horton, T.; Kroh, A.; Boyko, C.B.; Ahyong, S.T. (2025). The World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS) through the looking glass: insights from the data management team in light of the crystal anniversary of WoRMS. Hydrobiologia 852(1): 1-22. https://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10750-024-05688-y
Chang, S.-C.; Ahyong, S.T.; Tsang, L.-M. (2024). Molecular phylogeny of deep-sea blind lobsters of the family Polychelidae (Decapoda: Polychelida), with implications for the origin and evolution of these “living fossils”. Mol. Phylogenet. Evol. 192: 107998. https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ympev.2023.107998
De Grave, S.; Decock, W.; Dekeyzer, S.; Davie, P.J.F.; Fransen, C.H.J.M.; Boyko, C.B.; Poore, G.C.B.; MacPherson, E.; Ahyong, S.T.; Crandall, K.A.; de Mazancourt, V.; Osawa, M.; Chan, T.-Y.; Ng, P.K.L.; Lemaitre, R.; van der Meij, S.E.T.; Santos, S. (2023). Benchmarking global biodiversity of decapod crustaceans (Crustacea: Decapoda). J. Crust. Biol. 43(3): ruad042. https://dx.doi.org/10.1093/jcbiol/ruad042
Rheindt, F.E.; Ahyong, S.T.; Azevedo-Santos, V.M.; Bertling, M.; Bouchard, P.; Evenhuis, N.; Harvey, M.; Irham, M.; Krell, F.-T.; Pape, T.; Peterson, A.T.; Prawiradilaga, D.M.; Pyle, R.; Rasmussen, P.; Welter-Schultes, F.; Winker, K. (2021). Response to O’Connell et al. (2020): there are multiple ways to adapt taxonomy to conservation goals. Biodivers. Conserv. 30(1): 249-251. https://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10531-020-02086-3
Richer de Forges, B.; Ahyong, S.T.; Castro, P.; Chan, T.-Y.; Clark, P.F.; Lemaitre, R.; MacPherson, E.; Ng, P.L.K.; Poore, G.C.B.; Poupin, J.; Tavares, M. (2021). Alain Crosnier’s role in modern carcinology: exploration, international collaboration, and taxonomy. J. Crust. Biol. 41(3): ruab031. https://dx.doi.org/10.1093/jcbiol/ruab031
Thomson, S.A.; Pyle, R.L.; Ahyong, S.T.; Alonso-Zarazaga, M.; Ammirati, J.; Araya, J.F.; Ascher, J.S.; Audisio, T.L.; Azevedo-Santos, V.M.; Bailly, N.; Baker, W.J.; Balke, M.; Barclay, M.V.L.; Barrett, R.L.; Benine, R.C.; Bickerstaff, J.R.M.; Bouchard, P.; Bour, R.; Bourgoin, T.; Boyko, C.B.; Breure, A.S.H.; Brothers, D.J.; Byng, J.W.; Campbell, D.; Ceríaco, L.M.P.; Cernák, I.; Cerretti, P.; Chang, C.-H.; Cho, S.; Copus, J.M.; Costello, M.J.; Cseh, A.; Csuzdi, C.; Culham, A.; D'Elía, G.; d'Udekem d'Acoz, C.; Daneliya, M.E.; Dekker, R.; Dickinson, E.C.; Dickinson, T.A.; van Dijk, P.P.; Dijkstra, K.-D.B.; Dima, B.; Dmitriev, D.A.; Duistermaat, L.; Dumbacher, J.P.; Eiserhardt, W.L.; Ekrem, T.; Evenhuis, N.L.; Faille, A.; Fiesler, E.; Fishbein, M.; Fordham, B.G.; Freitas, A.V.L.; Friol, N.R.; Fritz, U.; Frøslev, T.; Funk, V.A.; Gaimari, S.D.; Garraffoni, A.R.S.; Geml, J.; Gill, A.C.; Gray, A.; Grazziotin, F.G.; Greenslade, P.; Gutiérrez, E.E.; Harvey, M.S.; Hazevoet, C.J.; He, K.; He, X.; Helfer, S.; Helgen, K.M.; van Heteren, A.H.; Hita Garcia, F.; Holstein, N.; Horváth, M.K.; Hovenkamp, P.H.; Hwang, W.S.; Hyvönen, J.; Islam, M.B.; Iverson, J.B.; Ivie, M.A.; Jaafar, Z.; Jackson, M.D.; Jayat, J.P.; Johnson, N.F.; Kaiser, H.; Klitgård, B.B.; Knapp, D.G.; Kojima, J.; Kõljalg, U.; Kontschán, J.; Krell, F.-T.; Krisai-Greilhuber, I.; Kullander, S.; Latella, L.; Lattke, J.E.; Lencioni, V.; Lewis, G.P.; Lujan, N.K.; Luksenburg, J.A.; Mariaux, J.; Marinho-Filho, J.; Marshall, C.J.; McDonough, M.M.; Michel, E.; Miranda, V.F.O.; Mitroiu, M.-D.; Molinari, J.; Monks, S.; Moore, A.J.; Moratelli, R.; Murányi, D.; Nakano, T.; Nikolaeva, S.; Noyes, J.; Ohl, M.; Oleas, N.H.; Orrell, T.; Páll-Gergely, B.; Pape, T.; Papp, V.; Parenti, L.R.; Patterson, D.; Pavlinov, I.Y.; Pine, R.H.; Poczai, P.; Prado, J.; Prathapan, D.; Rabeler, R.K.; Randall, J.E.; Rheindt, F.E.; Rhodin, A.G.J.; Rodriguez, S.M.; Rogers, D.C.; de O. Roque, F.; Rowe, K.C.; Ruedas, L.A.; Salazar-Bravo, J.; Salvador, R.B.; Sangster, G.; Sarmiento, C.E.; Schigel, D.S.; Schmidt, S.; Schueler, F.W.; Segers, H.; Snow, N.; Souza-Dias, P.G.B.; Stals, R.; Stenroos, S.; Stone, R.D.; Sturm, C.F.; Štys, P.; Teta, P.; Thomas, D.C.; Timm, R.M.; Tindall, B.J.; Todd, J.A.; Triebel, D.; Valdecasas, A.G.; Vizzini, A.; Vorontsova, M.S.; de Vos, J.M.; Wagner, P.; Watling, L.; Weakley, A.; Welter-Schultes, F.; Whitmore, D.; Wilding, N.; Will, K.; Williams, J.; Wilson, K.; Winston, J.E.; Wüster, W.; Yanega, D.; Yeates, D.K.; Zaher, H. (2018). Taxonomy based on science is necessary for global conservation. PLoS Biology 16(3): e2005075. https://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.2005075
Poore, A.G.B.; Ahyong, S.T.; Lowry, J.K.; Sotka, E.E. (2017). Plant feeding promotes diversification in the Crustacea. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 114(33): 8829-8834. https://dx.doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1706399114
Poore, G.C.B.; Hyžný, M.; Chan, T.-Y.; Tamaki, A.; Mantelatto, F.L.; Karasawa, H.; Tsang, L.M.; Lemaitre, R.; Dworschak, P.C.; Ahyong, S.T.; Robles, R.; Komai, T.; Felder, D.L.; Schweitzer, C.E.; Feldmann, R.M.; Chu, K.H.; Martin, J.W.; Crandall, K.A.; Ngoc-Ho, N.; Tudge, C.C.; Bracken-Grissom, H.D.; Li, X. (2014). On stabilising the names of the infraorders of thalassinidean shrimps, Axiidea de Saint Laurent, 1979 and Gebiidea de Saint Laurent, 1979 (Decapoda). Crustaceana 87(10): 1258-1272. https://dx.doi.org/10.1163/15685403-00003354
Ahyong, S.T.; Low, M.Y. (2013). Miyakella nom. nov., a replacement name for Miyakea Manning, 1995, (Crustacea: Stomatopoda: Squillidae), preoccupied by Miyakea Marumo, 1933 (Insecta: Lepidoptera: Crambidae). Zootaxa 3616(1): 99-100. https://dx.doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.3616.1.9
Appeltans, W.; Ahyong, S.T.; Anderson, G.; Angel, M.V.; Artois, T.; Bailly, N.; Bamber, R.N.; Barber, A.; Bartsch, I.; Berta, A.; Blazewicz-Paszkowycz , M.; Bock, P.; Boxshall, G.; Boyko, C.B.; Nunes Brandão, S.; Bray, R.A.; Bruce, N.L.; Cairns, S.D.; Chan, T.-Y.; Cheng, L.; Collins, A.G.; Cribb, T.H.; Curini-Galletti, M.; Dahdouh-Guebas, F.; Davie, P.J.F.; Dawson, M.N.; De Clerck, O.; Decock, W.; De Grave, S.; de Voogd, N.J.; Domning, D.P.; Emig, C.C.; Erséus, Ch.; Eschmeyer, W.; Fauchald, K.; Fautin, D.G.; Feist, S.W.; Fransen, C.H.J.M.; Furuya, H.; García-Alvarez, O.; Gerken, S.; Gibson, D.; Gittenberger, A.; Gofas, S.; Gómez-Daglio, L.; Gordon, D.P.; Guiry, M.D.; Hernandez, F.; Hoeksema, B.W.; Hopcroft, R.R.; Jaume, D.; Kirk, P.; Koedam, N.; Koenemann, S.; Kolb, J.B.; Kristensen, R.M.; Kroh, A.; Lambert, G.; Lazarus, D.B.; Lemaitre, R.; Longshaw, M.; Lowry, J.; MacPherson, E.; Madin, L.P.; Mah, C.; Mapstone, G.; McLaughlin, P.A.; Mees, J.; Meland, K.; Messing, C.G.; Mills, C.E.; Molodtsova, T.N.; Mooi, R.; Neuhaus, B.; Ng, P.K.L.; Nielsen, C.; Norenburg, J.; Opresko, D.M.; Osawa, M.; Paulay, G.; Perrin, W.; Pilger, J.F.; Poore, G.C.B.; Pugh, Ph.R.; Read, G.B.; Reimer, J.D.; Rius, M.; Rocha, R.M.; Sáiz Salinas, J.I.; Scarabino, V.; Schierwater, B.; Schmidt-Rhaesa, A.; Schnabel, K.E.; Schotte, M.; Schuchert, P.; Schwabe, E.; Segers, H.; Self-Sullivan, C.; Shenkar, N.; Siegel, V.; Sterrer, W.; Stöhr, S.; Swalla, B.; Tasker, M.L.; Thuesen, E.V.; Timm, T.; Todaro, M.A.; Turon, X.; Tyler, S.; Uetz, P.; van der Land, J.; Vanhoorne, B.; van Ofwegen, L.P.; Van Soest, R.W.M.; Vanaverbeke, J.; Walker-Smith, G.K.; Walter, T.C.; Warren, A.; Williams, G.C.; Wilson, S.P.; Costello, M.J. (2012). The magnitude of global marine species diversity. Curr. Biol. 22(23): 2189-2202. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2012.09.036
Read, G.B.; Inglis, G.; Stratford, P.; Ahyong, S.T. (2011). Arrival of the alien fanworm Sabella spallanzanii (Gmelin, 1791) (Polychaeta: Sabellidae) in two New Zealand harbours. Aquat. Invasions 6(3): 273-279. https://dx.doi.org/10.3391/ai.2011.6.3.04
Gordon, D.P.; Beaumont, J.; MacDiarmid, A.B.; Robertson, D.A.; Ahyong, S.T. (2010). Marine biodiversity of Aotearoa New Zealand. PLoS One 5(8): e10905. https://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0010905
De Grave, S.; Pentcheff, N.D.; Ahyong, S.T.; Chan, T.-Y.; Crandall, K.A.; Dworschak, P.C.; Felder, D.L.; Feldmann, R.M.; Fransen, C.H.J.M.; Goulding, L.Y.D.; Lemaitre, R.; Low, M.E.Y.; Martin, J.W.; Ng, P.K.L.; Schweitzer, C.E.; Tan, S.H.; Tshudy, D.; Wetzer, R. (2009). A classification of living and fossil genera of decapod crustaceans. Raffles Bull. Zool. Supplement no.21: 1-109
Baba, K.; Macpherson, E.; Poore, G.C.B.; Ahyong, S.T.; Bermudez, A.; Cabezas, P.; Lin, C.-W.; Nizinski, M.; Rodrigues, C.; Schnabel, K.E. (2008). Catalogue of squat lobsters of the world (Crustacea: Decapoda: Anomura - families Chirostylidae, Galatheidae and Kiwaidae). Zootaxa, 1905(1). Magnolia Press: Auckland. ISBN 978-1-86977-289-5; e-ISBN 978-1-86977-290-1. 220 pp. https://dx.doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.1905.1.1
Ahyong, S.T. (2001). Revision of the Australian stomatopod Crustacea. Rec. Aust. Mus. (Suppl. 26): 1-326
Ahyong, S.T.; Chan, T.-Y.; Liao, Y.J. (2000). Oratosquillina manningi, a new species of stomopod from Taiwan and Australia. J. Crust. Biol. 20 Special No.2: 42-47

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