Synalpheus thai Banner and Banner, 1966
Synalpheus thai is an Indo-West Pacific and Indian Ocean snapping shrimp first described from Thailand. Relatively rare, it has been collected from dead coral heads and sponges in the shallow subtidal.
Synalpheus thai was first described from Koh Samet, Rayong, Thailand by Banner and Banner (1966). For more details, see Chace (1988), Kazmi et al. (1991). Named after the type locality (Thailand). Types stored at the National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution (USNM). Type: USNM 120413.
This species has been collected from dead coral heads in the shallow subtidal (Banner and Banner 1966); Banner and Banner (1985) report an Indonesian specimen was collected from a sponge.
Maximum body size is 6 mm (carapace length) (Chace 1988). Morphologically similar to Synalpheus bituberculatus, S. coutierei, and S. hastilicrassus, but can be separated from all three by the very long posterior lateral teeth of the telson (Banner and Banner 1966).
Indo-West Pacific and Indian Ocean: Northeastern Gulf of Thailand, Basilan Strait, southern Philippines, Indonesia, Hawaii (Chace 1988); Karachi, western Indian Ocean (Kazmi et al. 1991).