Barcoding type specimens helps to identify synonyms and an unnamed new species in Eumunida Smith, 1883 (Decapoda:Eumunididae)

The primary purpose ofDNA-barcoding projects is to generate an efficient expertise and identification tool. This is an important challenge to the taxonomy of the 21st century, as the demand increases and the expert capacity does not. However, identifying specimens usingDNA-barcodes requires a preliminary analysis to relatemolecular clusters to available scientific names. Through a case study of the genus Eumunida (Decapoda : Eumunididae), we illustrate how naming molecule-based units, and thus providing an accurate DNA-based identification tool, is facilitated by sequencing type specimens. Using both morphological and unlinked molecular markers (COI and 28S genes), we analysed 230 specimens from 12 geographic areas, covering two-thirds of the known diversity of the genus, including type specimens of 13 species. Most hypotheses of species delimitation are validated, as they correspond to molecular units linked to only one taxonomic name (and vice versa). However, a putative cryptic species is also revealed and three entities previously named as distinct speciesmay in fact belong to a single one, and thus need to be synonymised.Our analyses,which integrate the current naming rules, enhance the a-taxonomy of the genus and provide an effective identification tool based on DNA-barcodes. They illustrate the ability of DNA-barcodes, especially when type specimens are included, to pinpoint where a taxonomic revision is needed. Received 25 May 2011, accepted 9 November 2011, published online dd mmm yyyy