Neopisosoma angustifrons ( Benedict, 1901 )

Ferreira, Luciane Augusto De Azevedo & Anker, Arthur, 2021, An annotated and illustrated checklist of the porcelain crabs of Panama (Decapoda: Anomura), Zootaxa 5045 (1), pp. 1-154 : 42

Neopisosoma angustifrons ( Benedict, 1901)

( Figs. 18 , 19 , 90A )

Pisosoma angustifrons Benedict 1901: 135 , pl. 3, fig. 6.

Neopisosoma angustifrons .— Haig 1960: 131; Haig 1962: 181; Gore & Abele 1976: 18; Werding 1977: 187, fig. 9; Werding 1986: 162, fig. 1; Rodríguez et al. 2005: 553; Rodríguez et al. 2006: 154; Poupin & Lemaitre 2014: 10, fig. 2D; Diez & Lira 2017: 444 ; Poupin 2018: 147, fig. 143.

Material examined. None from Panama. Extra-limital material. French Antilles: 2 males, 1 ov. female, cl cw indet. ( FLMNH UF 32030 , 32032 ), Saint Martin, Sta. STM-032, 18°04’41.4”N, 63°00’44.7”W, Le Gallon, ocean side, exposed rocky coast with heavy surf, intertidal, leg. G. Paulay et al., 14.04.2012 (fcn BSTM-0642, BSTM-0643, BSTM-0644) .

Previous records from Panama. Gore & Abele (1976).

Distribution. West Atlantic: Mexico, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Bahamas, E and S Lesser Antilles, Panama (Punta Galeta), Colombia and Venezuela ( Gore & Abele 1976; Rodríguez et al. 2005; Poupin & Lemaitre 2014; Miranda & Mantelatto 2016; Diez & Lira 2017).

Ecology. Intertidal and shallow subtidal, known depth range: 0–1 m; in crevices of rocks and coral rubble, sometimes associated with macroalgae ( Werding et al. 2003; Diez & Jover 2013).

Remarks. Neopisosoma angustifrons is easily recognisable among the western Atlantic members of the genus by the robust P1, without setae and covered by rounded granules. The species appears to be uncommon on the Caribbean coast of Panama, presently being known only from Punta Galeta ( Gore & Abele 1976), although its presence in the Golfo de Urabá, eastern Colombia ( Fig. 90A ) suggests that it must be also present in suitable habitats around Portobelo, Isla Grande and in Guna Yala. The eastern Pacific sister species of N. angustifrons is presumably N. dohenyi Haig, 1960 , which is also known from Panama (see below).

The colour pattern of N. angustifrons appears to be rather variable. The specimen from Guadeloupe illustrated by Poupin & Lemaitre (2014) has a dark orange-brown mottled carapace, brown-orange P1 with white fingertips and P2–P4 banded with creamy white. Most specimens from Saint Martin were white and marbled or spotted with chocolate brown or orange-brown ( Figs. 19, 19 ), whereas the crabs from western Colombia were dark pink with darker brown and paler yellowish patches and white P1 fingertips ( Fig. 90A ).

Two other Caribbean species of Neopisosoma in all likelihood occur in Panama, but have yet to be collected there for confirmation. These are N. neglectum Werding, 1986 and N. curacaoense ( Schmitt, 1924) , both reported from the Golfo de Urabá, Colombia (Werding 1978, 1986), which is adjacent to the border with Guna Yala province of Panama (see Map in Fig. 1A ). Therefore, both species are highly likely present in Panama ( Table 1) and are illustrated below, using colour photographs of specimens collected in Saint Martin ( Figs. 87A–D , 90B ).

Figures

FIGURE 1. A—General map of Panama, showing the most important sampling localities; B—close-up of Ciudad de Panamá and Panama Canal area; C—close-up of Bocas del Toro area. Abbreviations for provinces and autonomous territories: BDT, Bocas del Toro; CHI, Chiriquí; COC, Coclé; COL, Colón; DAR, Darién; EMB, Embera; GUY, Guna Yala; HER, Herrera; LOS, Los Santos; MAD, Guna de Madugandi; NGB, Ngöbe Buglé; PAN, Panamá; PAO, Panamá Ocidental; VER, Veraguas; WAR, Guna de Wargandi. Other abbreviations: B., Bahía; CDP, Canal de Panamá; Ens., Ensenada; Fte., Fuerte; G., Golfo, I., Isla; L., Laguna; Pl., Playa, Pta., Punta; Pto. Puerto.

FIGURE 18. Neopisosoma angustifrons (Benedict, 1901): A, B, extra-limital specimen, male (cl cw indet.) from Saint Martin (FLMNH UF 32030), dorsal (A) and ventral (B) views [photographs by AA].

FIGURE 19. Neopisosoma angustifrons (Benedict, 1901): extra-limital specimens; A, male (cl cw indet.) from Saint Martin (FLMNH UF 32030), dorsal view; B, ovigerous female (cl cw indet.) from Saint Martin (FLMNH UF 32032), dorsal (B) and ventral (C) views [photographs by AA].

FIGURE 87. Some Porcellanidae reported from Colombia (A–E) or with transisthmian distribution (F), likely occurring in Panamanian waters: A, B, Neopisosoma neglectum Werding, 1986, male (A) and female (B) from Saint Martin (FLMNH UF 32006); C, D, Neopisosoma curacaoense (Schmitt, 1924), male (C) and female (D) from Saint Martin (FLMNH UF 32027); E, Neopisosoma bicapillatum Haig, 1960, male from Bahía Málaga, Colombia (CRBM-UV), all in dorsal view [photographs by AA]; F, Pachycheles monilifer Dana, 1852, male from Florida, USA (FLMNH UF 13258), dorsal view [photograph courtesy of Gustav Paulay].

FIGURE 90. Some western Atlantic Porcellanidae (all species reported from Panama or Golfo de Urabá at the Panamanian- Colombian border) photographed in situ: A, Neopisosoma angustifrons (Benedict, 1901), Golfo de Urabá, Colombia; B, Neopisosoma neglectum Werding, 1986, Golfo de Urabá, Colombia; C, Pachycheles tuerkayi Werding & Hiller, 2017, Santa Marta, Colombia; D, Petrolisthes jugosus Streets, 1872, Tayrona, Colombia; E, Petrolisthes tonsorius Haig, 1960, blue colour morph, Bonaire; F, Petrolisthes quadratus Benedict, 1901, Bonaire [photographs courtesy of Juan-Felipe Lazarus-Agudelo (A–D) and Marco Faasse (E, F)].