Diversity and Distribution of Decapoda

Dear Colleagues,

The order Decapoda Latreille, 1802, is a highly diverse group of crustaceans that includes iconic taxa such as shrimps, lobsters, and crabs, and with more than 10,000 described species, decapods display an impressive array of morphological and ecological adaptations. Their distribution is broad and heterogeneous, spanning a remarkable diversity of marine, estuarine, freshwater, and even terrestrial habitats across the globe.

This Special Issue aims to bring together high-quality contributions that explore the diversity and distribution of decapods at multiple spatial and temporal scales, from local to global. Topics include, but are not limited to, new species descriptions and faunal records, systematic and taxonomic revisions, phylogenetic and evolutionary perspectives, modelling of species distributions and niche dynamics, biogeographic and macroecological patterns, and conservation-relevant applications. The scope covers marine, estuarine, and freshwater decapods, and welcomes studies employing integrative methodologies (morphology + molecular + ecological modelling). We particularly encourage collaborative and cross-regional studies that integrate traditional and modern approaches to shed light on global decapod biodiversity. By assembling these contributions, we hope this volume will serve as a reference framework for crustacean taxonomists, ecologists, conservation biologists, and biogeographers, and that it will stimulate new perspectives, collaborations, and discoveries in the field.

This Special Issue invites researchers to contribute original studies and reviews that advance our understanding of the diversity, phylogeny, ecology, and biogeography of Decapoda (Crustacea). We encourage submissions documenting new species and regional checklists, taxonomic revisions, distributional modelling, biogeographical patterns, and insights into the drivers of decapod diversity, including climate change, habitat alteration, and invasive dynamics. Integrative approaches combining morphology, molecular data, niche modelling, and phylogenetic frameworks are particularly welcome. The goal is to consolidate current knowledge, foster synthesis across taxa and regions, and provide a high-impact platform for advancing our understanding of decapod diversity and distribution in a rapidly changing world.

Dr. Patricio Hernáez
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Diversity is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2100 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.