Asterocheres neptunei Johnsson, 2001

Bispo, Ricardo, Johnsson, Rodrigo & Neves, Elizabeth, 2006, A new species of Asterocheres (Copepoda, Siphonostomatoida, Asterocheridae) associated to Placospongia cristata Boury-Esnault (Porifera) in Bahia State, Brazil, Zootaxa 1351, pp. 23-34 : 25

Asterocheres neptunei Johnsson, 2001

Material examined. 4 females ( UFBA 0 0 0 6 CRU) associated with P. cristata from Bimbarra Island, Madre de Deus, Bahia. Collected by R. Johnsson and R. Bispo, 0 1 August 2004.

Morphology. Asterocheres neptunei has a siphon reaching insertion of P1, each maxilulle lobe has 4 setae, the antennal exopod has 3 setae, the free segment of P5 is armed with 2 setae and the caudal rami are slightly longer than wide.

Remarks. This species has previously only been recorded from sponges collected at 3 m below low tide in Picinguaba (São Paulo), an inlet located at the southeast region of Brazil ( Fig. 1 ) ( Johnsson et al. 2001). Johnsson et al. (2001) did not determine A. neptunei ’s host, so it is possible that the host ( Placospongia ) has not been recorded further south in Brazil or that A. neptunei recorded in Picinguaba was living associated with a different sponge. As Johnsson et al. (2001) found seventy-four specimens of A. neptunei in Picinguaba and only four were collected in association with P. cristata in Bahia, it may be possible that P. cristata is not be the principal host for A. neptunei . Consequently, although A. neptunei is not host restricted, it may have a host preference, however such questionings need further studies to be clarified. This is the first record of both, the host sponge Placospongia cristata and its symbiont, A. neptunei in Bahia, therefore the present record extends their distribution to the northeast of Brazil.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Location of collection sites in Brazil. (A) Brazilian coast; (B) eastern and northeastern coast, (Abrolhos region, 1; Bimbarra Island, 2; Picinguaba, 3; Recife, 4); (C) Todos os Santos Bay.