On the Occurrence of a Giant Squilla, Harpiosquilla raphidae (Crustacea: Malacostraca: Stomatopoda) in Chilika Lagoon, Odisha

Two giant female mantis shrimps were collected from the Outer Channel of the Chilika lagoon, Odisha by the staff of the Chilika Development Authority, Bhubaneswar, on 20-03-2002 during the course of their regular monitoring surveys. A detailed taxonomic examination of the specimen revealed its identity as Harpiosquilla raphidae (Fabricius, 1798), the largest known stomatopod, first time ever from brackish water ecosystem.