Glyphocrangon aculeata A. Milne Edwards, 1881

Vázquez-Bader, Ana Rosa & Gracia, Adolfo, 2013, Crangonidae and Glyphocrangonidae (Decapoda; Caridea) of the Southern Gulf of Mexico, Zootaxa 3669 (3), pp. 367-383 : 371-373

Glyphocrangon aculeata A. Milne Edwards, 1881

( Figs. 4 , 5 )

Glyphocrangon aculeatum A. Milne Edwards, 1881: 5 (type locality: off St. Vincent, West Indies , 1030 m).

Glyphocrangon aculeata — Bate 1888: 521, pl. 94, fig. 1.— Moreira, 1901: 15.— Pequegnat, 1970: 104.— Holthuis 1971: 323, fig. 10.— Coelho & Ramos 1972: 156.— Boschi 1973: 234, fig. 1b.— Forest & Holthuis 1997: 56.— Ramos-Porto & Coelho 1998: 342.— Komai 2004a: 32, fig. 1A, B.— Wicksten & Packard 2005: 1757.— Felder et al. 2009: 1061.

Material examined. BIOREPES2 stn 5, ♀ 2, ovigerous ♀ 6; stn 6, ♀ 1, ovigerous ♀ 1; stn 7, ♂ 1, ♀ 4; stn 8, ♂ 1, ♀ 2, ovigerous ♀ 1; stn 14, ♀ 4, ovigerous ♀ 5; stn 27, ♂ 4, ♀ 11, ovigerous ♀ 10; stn 28b, ♂ 4, ♀ 2, ovigerous ♀ 1; stn 35, ♀ 2; stn 36, ♀ 1, ovigerous ♀ 3. BIOREPES3 stn A15, ovigerous ♀ 13; stn A16, ♂ 3, ♀ 7, ovigerous ♀ 1; stn A17, ♂ 1, ♀ 4; stn A18, ♂ 3, ♀ 3. COBERPES stn A2, ovigerous ♀ 7; stn A5, ovigerous ♀ 1; stn A6, ♂ 1, ♀ 2; stn B6, ♂ 3, ♀ 4, ovigerous ♀ 7; stn B8, ♂ 1, ♀ 8, ovigerous f6; stn B9, m4, f6, ovigerous f8; stn B10, m2, f13, ovigerous f16; stn E1, m1, ovigerous ♀ 1; stn E2, ♂ 1; stn Ω8, ovigerous ♀ 1; stn Ω9, ♂ 3, f4, ovigerous ♀ 1; stn Ω10, ♂ 2, ♀ 1; stn Ω13, ♂ 1, ♀ 2, ovigerous ♀ 6. COBERPES 2011 stn B1, ♂ 2; stn B2, ♀ 2, ovigerous ♀ 2; stn B3, ovigerous ♀ 1; stn B4, ♂ 1; stn B7; ovigerous ♀ 1; stn B9, ♂ 1; stn C4, ovigerous ♀ 1; stn C5, ovigerous ♀ 4; stn D1, ovigerous ♀ 2; stn D6, ovigerous ♀ 4; stn D7, ♂ 4, ovigerous ♀ 3; stn D9, ovigerous ♀ 1.

Overall Geographic and Bathymetric Distribution. This species has been recorded off Cape Hatteras (North Carolina, U.S.A.) to off Recife (NE Brazil), the entire Gulf of Mexico (NW; NE; SW; SE) and Caribbean Sea; at a 707–1760 m depth range ( Holthuis, 1971; Felder et al. 2009).

Distribution in the Southwestern and Southeastern Gulf of Mexico. We collected this species in Tamaulipas: Laguna Madre (WNW); in front of Veracruz: Nautla and Coatzacoalcos rivers (WSW); Tabasco: Carmen-Machona Lagoons, Grijalva-Usumacinta rivers (SSW); Campeche: San Pedro-San Pablo rivers, Términos Lagoon (SSW); Yucatán: N of Alacranes reef (ESE); at a depth range of 443.8 to 1144 m. It was found inhabiting clay and shell sediment ( Fig. 4 ).

Remarks. A total of 242 individuals of G. aculeata was collected in all cruises. Although this species occur in the entire Gulf of Mexico, we obtained the highest abundances in the sectors SSW and ESE, stations located in front of Coatzacoalcos River (867 m depth) and W of Alacranes reef, Yucatán (828.9 m depth). Sex ratio was 4.6 females to 1 male; ovigerous females accounting 57.3 % of the total females. Length carapace distribution showed that males were smaller than females. Ovigerous female size range was 15.1–32.0 mm (mean 25.32 ± SD) whereas females varied between 10.8–30.7 mm CL (mean 20.53 ± 3.99 SD), and males size range was 12.8–23.2 mm CL (mean 18.7 ± 2.62 SD) ( Fig.5a, b, c ).

The widest depth distribution range was observed in the ovigerous females (443.8–1047 m) compared to the non-ovigerous females and males depth distribution range (681.6–1044.0 and 620.0– 1144 m, respectively). The ovigerous females occurred in spring, summer and autumn at depths between 800–899 m; but the maximum number was registered in summer (COBERPES 2009) off the Coatzacoalcos River. Although we observed a tendency of minor sizes to be present at deepest intervals, the ANOVA did not show a significant difference (males: F= 1.706, p= 0.1686; females: F= 1.9583, p= 0.0937; ovigerous females: F= 6721, p= 0.6454).

Figures

FIGURE 4. Map of distribution of G. aculeata in the southern Gulf of Mexico. Abbreviations: T= Tamaulipas, V= Veracruz, TA= Tabasco, CA= Campeche, Y= Yucatán, QR= Quintana Roo.

FIGURE 5. Size distribution by sex and depth interval of G.aculeata, a) females; b) males; c) ovigerous females.