Zuzalpheus sanctithomae ( Coutière, 1909 ) Ríos, Rubén & Duffy, J. Emmett, 2007

Ríos, Rubén & Duffy, J. Emmett, 2007, A review of the sponge‑dwelling snapping shrimp from Carrie Bow Cay, Belize, with description of Zuzalpheus, new genus, and six new species (Crustacea: Decapoda: Alpheidae), Zootaxa 1602 (1), pp. 1-89 : 62-63

Zuzalpheus sanctithomae ( Coutière, 1909) n. comb.

( Plate 5 )

Synalpheus sanctithomae, Coutière 1909:61–62 , Fig. 35; Christoffersen 1979:352, Figs. 29 , 30 ; Dardeau 1984:104 (and synonymy)

Material examined. (1) Syntype ♂ and ♀ ( USNM 24782 ), 3.2 and 3.3 mm (rostrum excluded), respectively, off St. Thomas , Virgin Islands .

(2) 1 ovigerous ♀ ( VIMS 03 CBC1810), 3.2 mm, 1 ♂ ( VIMS 03 CBC1816), 2.7 mm, outer ridge at Carrie Bow Cay , Belize, 19 April 2003, in Hyattella intestinalis , 15–20 m.

(3) 2 ovigerous ♀ ( VIMS 04 CBC3901, 04CBC3902), 2.7 and 2.9 mm, 3 ♂ ( VIMS 04 CBC3904, 04CBC3905, 04CBC3906), 2.6, 2.9, 2.9 mm, outer ridge at Curlew Reef , Belize, 15 March 2004, in Hymeniacidon caerulea , 20 m.

(4) 1 ovigerous ♀ ( VIMS 03 CBC6301), 3.5 mm, 1 ♂ ( VIMS 03 CBC6302), 3.1 mm, fore-reef slope, N end of Gladden Reef , Belize, 28 April 2003, in Hymeniacidon caerulea , 8–11 m.

(5) 1 ovigerous ♀ ( VIMS 95 CBC4401), 2.9 mm, outer ridge at Carrie Bow Cay , Belize, 1 July 1995, in Lissodendoryx sp. , 15–20 m.

Diagnosis. Body subcylindrical; carapace smooth, with pterygostomian corner produced into bluntly acute angle, and posterior margin with cardiac notch distinct. Rostrum clearly narrower than ocular hoods, about as long as ocular hoods, and distally upturned; margins in dorsal view, concave. Orbitorostral process absent. Ocular hoods dorsally convex; in dorsal view, bluntly triangular, margins concave or convex, separated from rostrum by deep adrostral sinus. Ocular processes present, but not elongated. Ocellary beak in lateral view rodlike. Stylocerite slender; mesial margin straight; tip blunt; reaching about as far as distal margin of first antennular peduncle; this latter segment with mesio-ventral tooth, and with 2 basal ventral processes. Basicerite without spine on dorso-lateral corner, and with longer ventrolateral spine clearly overreaching tip of stylocerite. Scaphocerite with blade present, and with robust, acute lateral spine with lateral margin slightly concave, not overreaching antennular peduncle; mesial projection at base of scaphocerite present. Maxilliped 3 with distal circlet of spines on distal segment, and without ventro-distal spine on antepenultimate segment

Major pereopod 1 massive, fingers clearly not longer than half length of palm; fixed finger reduced, much shorter than dactyl; in ventral view, outer face of fixed finger with an obtuse basal protuberance. Palm of chela with distal superior margin produced into prominent tubercle with acute spine. Merus, extensor margin strongly convex. With distal angular projection.

Minor pereopod 1 with palm clearly less than two times longer than high; fingers clearly shorter than palm; dactyl with flexor surface obliquely concave, distal tip with subdistal accessory bump; transverse dorsal setal combs on extensor surface of dactyl very conspicuous; fixed finger with flexor margin straight, bladelike, and subdistal accessory bump. Extensor margin of merus convex, ending in right angle.

Pereopod 2 carpus with five segments; and equal or shorter than merus.

Pereopod 3 slender; dactyl biunguiculate, with extensor tooth wider at base than flexor tooth; merus without movable spines on flexor margin; mesial lamella on coxa present.

Pleura 1 of male with posterior corner distinctly produced ventrally and anteriorly, hook-like; second pleura of male rounded to obtuse. Pleopod 1 of male with few terminal setae on endopod; second pleopod of male with marginal setae on exopod originating near midpoint; appendix interna on male pleopods 2–5 present. Telson, space between distal spines greater than one third of distal margin; marginal convex lobe present; posterior corners adjacent to spines acute. Projections not longer than wide. Anal flaps, perianal setae, and postanal setal brush absent. Uropods with a single fixed tooth on outer margin of exopod.

Color ( Plate 5 ). Live specimens are faint to bright orange in overall appearance, with distal palm and fingers of major chela more intensely orange. The ovaries and embryos are bright to olive green.

Hosts and ecology. In Belize we have collected Zuzalpheus sanctithomae most commonly from Hymeniacidon caerulea , but also from Agelas clathrodes , Hyattella intestinalis , and Lissodendoryx sp. , at depths ranging from 1– 20 m. It occurs usually as a single heterosexual pair in an individual sponge.

Distribution. Western Atlantic: Florida Keys ( Gore 1981); Virgin Islands ( Coutière, 1909); Belize (this study); Panama (J.E. Duffy, unpublished); Brazil ( Christoffersen 1979).

Remarks. Identification of Zuzalpheus sanctithomae has been somewhat confused in the past due to a typographical error in Chace’s (1972) key to the Western Atlantic Synalpheus , as described under our remarks on Z. mcclendoni .

Figures

PLATE 5. Zuzalpheus sanctithomae, female (VIMS 01CBC6001) from Hymeniacidon caerulea, Sand Bores, Belize. Zuzalpheus williamsi, female from Hymeniacidon caereulea. Zuzalpheus ul, female (VIMS 01CBC4002) from Hymeniacidon caereulea, Sand Bores, Belize. Zuzalpheus ul, male (VIMS 01CBC4001) from Hymeniacidon caerulea, Sand Bores, Belize. Zuzalpheus yano, female (VIMS 03P2401) from Lissodendoryx colombiensis, Isla Pastores, Bocas del Toro region, Panama. Zuzalpheus yano, female (VIMS 03P2401) from Lissodendoryx colombiensis, Isla Pastores, Bocas del Toro region, Panama. Zuzalpheus yano, male (VIMS 03P2403) from Lissodendoryx colombiensis, Isla Pastores, Bocas del Toro region, Panama.

FIGURE 29. Zuzalpheus ul, n. sp. Holotype male 3.5 mm (USNM 1019053): a, left third pereopod; b, same, detail of distal portion; c, left fourth pereopod; d, same, detail of distal portion; e, left fifth pereopod; f, same, detail of distal portion; g, left first pleopod; h, left second pleopod. Scale bar = 1 mm for a, c, e, g, h, and 0.28 mm for b, d, f.

FIGURE 30. Zuzalpheus ul, n. sp. Mouthparts. Holotype male 3.5 mm (USNM 1019053): a, left mandible; b, left first maxilla; c, left second maxilla; d, left first maxilliped; e, left second maxilliped; f, left third maxilliped. Scale bar = 1 mm for a, b, and 1.8 mm for c, d, e, f.