Molecular identification of deep-sea blind lobster (Crustacea: Decapoda: Polychelidae) from the Central Indian Ridge.

The deep-sea blind lobster A. Milne-Edwards, 1880 was collected at a water depth of 3433 m and is reported for the first time from the Central Indian Ridge (CIR). The species was identified based on morphological examination and supported by mitochondrial Cytochrome Oxidase Subunit I (mtCOI) gene. The phylogenetic analysis shows that is sister species of . Our findings expand the distributional range of the specimen in the southern hemisphere.