Synalpheus townsendi Coutière, 1909

Material examined: Maranhão—Turiaçu: 1 F, Nordeste Expedition II, St. 111/112, MOUFPE 12510; Ceará— Camocim: 1 F, Almirante Saldanha Expedition, St. 1722, 29.x.1967, 02°13.5′S 40°43.5′W, 53.0 m depth, MOUFPE 8948 ; Pernambuco—Fernando de Noronha: 1 F, Buraco do Inferno, 26.vi.2022, 03°48.968′S 32°23.577′W, 12.0 m depth, in sponge, DZ / UFRGS 7034 ; 1 OV, Laje Dois Irmãos, 30.vi.2022, 03°51.859′S 32°27.934′W, 17.0 m depth, in sponge, DZ / UFRGS 7047 ; 1 F, Ilha do Meio, 18.vi.2019, 03°49.015′S 32°23.549′W, 12.0 m depth, in sponge, DZ / UFRGS 7072 ; 1 F, Ressureta, 19.vi.2019, 03°49.191′S 32°23.847′W, 8.0 m depth, in sponge, DZ / UFRGS 7071 ; Continental Shelf off Recife: 1 M, 07.ii.2018, 8°08′51.5′′S 34°34′08.0′′W, 65.0 m depth, in sponge, MOUFPE 21797 ; 1 OV, same data as MOUFPE 21797, MOUFPE 21798; 1 M, same data as MOUFPE 21797, MOUFPE 21799; 1 M, same data as MOUFPE 21797, MOUFPE 21800; 1 M, same data as MOUFPE 21797, MOUFPE 21801; 1 NI, same data as MOUFPE 21797, MOUFPE 21802; 1 M, same data as MOUFPE 21797, MOUFPE 21804; 1 M, same data as MOUFPE 21797, MOUFPE 21805; 1 M, same data as MOUFPE 21797, MOUFPE 21806; 1 M, same data as MOUFPE 21797, MOUFPE 21807; 1 OV, same data as MOUFPE 21797, MOUFPE 21809; 1 OV, 10.v.2018, 08°21′34.9′′S 34°41′53.3′′W, 50.8 m depth, in sponge, MOUFPE 21796; 1 F, same data as MOUFPE 21796, MOUFPE 21792; 1 OV, 27.ii.2018, 8°13′33.0′′S 34°37′40.3′′W, 50.6 m depth, in sponge, MOUFPE 21536; 1 M, 27.ii.2018, 8°13′52.1′′S 34°37′39.1′′W, 50.8 m depth, in sponge, MOUFPE 21543; 1 F, 27.ii.2018, 8°13′52.1′′S 34°37′41.2′′W, 51.8 m depth, in sponge, MOUFPE 21538; 1 M, same data as MOUFPE 21538, in sponge, MOUFPE 21539; 1 M, 1 F, same data as MOUFPE 21538, in sponge, MOUFPE 21535; 1 F, 27.ii.2018, 8°13′52.1′′S 34°37′42.7′′W, 50.0 m depth, in sponge, DZ / UFRGS 7060; 1 M, same data as DZ/ UFRGS 7060, MOUFPE 21568; 1 OV, same data as DZ/ UFRGS 7060, MOUFPE 21576; 1 F, 10.v.2018, 08°23′04.3′′S 34°40′07′′W, 80.0 m depth, in sponge, MOUFPE 21830; 1 M, 1 OV, same data as MOUFPE 21830, MOUFPE 21821; 1 NI, same data as MOUFPE 21830, MOUFPE 21820; 1 M, 1 OV, same data as MOUFPE 21830, MOUFPE 21847; 1 F, same data as MOUFPE 21830, MOUFPE 21831; 1 M, 1 OV, same data as MOUFPE 21830, MOUFPE 21848; 1 OV, same data as MOUFPE 21830, MOUFPE 21817; 1 M, 1 OV, same data as MOUFPE 21830, MOUFPE 21852; 1 OV, same data as MOUFPE 21830, MOUFPE 21822; 1 OV, same data as MOUFPE 21830, MOUFPE 21824; 1 OV, same data as MOUFPE 21830, MOUFPE 21856; 1 F, same data as MOUFPE 21830, MOUFPE 21836; 1 F, same data as MOUFPE 21830, MOUFPE 21844; 1 M, same data as MOUFPE 21830, MOUFPE 21837; 1 M, 1 F, 1 NI, same data as MOUFPE 21830, MOUFPE 21833; 1 M, same data as MOUFPE 21830, MOUFPE 21851; 1 M, same data as MOUFPE 21830, MOUFPE 21853; 1 M, same data as MOUFPE 21830, MOUFPE 21854; 2 M, same data as MOUFPE 21830, MOUFPE 21834; 2 M, same data as MOUFPE 21830, MOUFPE 21849; 1 M, same data as MOUFPE 21830, in sediment, MOUFPE 21787; 1 F, 07.ii.2018, 8°08′43.7′′S 34°34′22.6′′W, 54.0 m depth, in coral rubble, MOUFPE 21569; 1 F, 27.ii.2018, 8°13′33.0′′S 34°37′40.3′′W, 50.6 m depth, MOUFPE 21562; 1 F, 27.ii.2018, 8°13′25.4′′S 34°37′43.2′′W, 51.0 m depth, MOUFPE 21573; 1 M, 27.ii.2018, 8°13′52.1′′S 34°37′39.1′′W, 50.8 m depth, MOUFPE 21574; 1 F, 27.ii.2018, 8°13′52.1′′S 34°37′41.2′′W, 51.8 m depth, MOUFPE 21551; 1 M, same data as MOUFPE 21551, MOUFPE 21552; 1 F, same data as MOUFPE 21551, MOUFPE 21553; 1 F, same data as MOUFPE 21551, MOUFPE 21554; 1 F, same data as MOUFPE 21551, MOUFPE 21556; 1 M, same data as MOUFPE 21551, MOUFPE 21557; 1 M, same data as MOUFPE 21551, MOUFPE 21558; 1 M, same data as MOUFPE 21551, MOUFPE 21561; 1 F, same data as MOUFPE 21551, MOUFPE 21565; 1 M, same data as MOUFPE 21551, MOUFPE 21570; 1 M, same data as MOUFPE 21551, MOUFPE 21571; 1 M, same data as MOUFPE 21551, MOUFPE 21572; 1 M, same data as MOUFPE 21551, MOUFPE 21575; Recife: 1 M, 08°09′7′′S 34°45′0′′W, 31.5 m depth, MOUFPE 15392 ; 1 M, same data as MOUFPE 15392, MOUFPE 15389; Bahia—Abrolhos: 2 M, Ilha de Santa Bárbara, 31.viii.2013, in dead coral, MOUFPE 21866 ; 1 M, 1 OV, Ilha de Santa Bárbara, 31.viii.2013, in sponge, MOUFPE 21867 .

Description: Coutière (1909), Williams (1984), and Anker et al. (2012).

Distribution: Bermuda, USA (from North Carolina to Florida), Gulf of Mexico, Honduras, Panama, Jamaica, Curaçao, and Barbados to Brazil (Rocas Atoll, Fernando de Noronha, Trindade & Martin Vaz Archipelago, Maranhão, and from Ceará to São Paulo) (Hermoso-Salazar et al. 2005; Anker et al. 2012, 2016; Soledade et al. 2015; Almeida et al. 2018b; this study).

Ecology: Reef areas with abundance of sponges, Phragmatopoma sp., reef cavities, or dead corals (e.g. Oculina sp., Porites sp., Siderastrea sp., Mussismilia sp.); calcareous algae and ascidians, in mangroves, worm-perforated wood, and sponges; in heterosexual pairs; shallow waters to 102 m (Rouse 1970; Gore et al. 1978; Rodríguez 1980; Reed et al. 1982; Duffy 1992; Anker et al. 2012; 2016). Sampled herein in sediment, coral rubble, dead coral and sponges.

Remarks: Synalpheus townsendi is a common and widely distributed species throughout the western Atlantic, with numerous records along the Brazilian coast (Anker et al. 2012). One specimen collected from the continental shelf off Recife carried a rhizocephalan pleonal parasite (MOUFPE 21821). The material from Parque Estadual Marinho da Pedra da Risca do Meio, Fortaleza, previously reported by Bezerra & Coelho (2006), has been reidentified as S. brooksi (see S. brooksi section).