Acanthephyra stylorostratis (Spence Bate, 1888)

(Figs. 11 A–C, 12, 39 F)

Bentheocaris stylorostratis Spence Bate, 1888: 726, pl. 123, fig. 4.

Acanthephyra stylorostratis— Calman, 1925: 14.— Chace 1936: 30; 1940: 144, fig. 22; 1986: 10. — Barnard 1950: 666.—Cardoso & Young: 2005: 27, figs. 14 a–e, 15 a–g, 16 a–d, 17a. — Pequegnat & Wicksten 2006: 97.— Serejo & Cardoso 2010: 194, fig. 1 a–c.

Material examined: 1 M, Potiguar Basin, MT# 72-2, Rio Grande do Norte, Potiguar Basin MT# 72-2, Bottom trawl, 1069 m, 04° 40,29’ S / 036° 23,70’ W; 04° 41,27’ S / 036° 22,17’ W, 20 May 2011, MOUFPE: 15.664. 1 F, MT# 83, Rio Grande do Norte, Potiguar Basin MT# 83-2, Bottom trawl, 2004 m, 04° 25,76’ S/ 036° 28,02’ W; 04° 25,88’ S / 036° 35,42’ W, 15 May 2011, MOUFPE: 15.670. 1 M, Rio Grande do Norte, Potiguar Basin MT# 84, Bot- tom trawl, 1867 m, 04° 26,11’ S/ 036° 31,19’ W; 04° 25,45’ S / 036° 44,28’ W, 14 May 2011, MOUFPE: 15.672. 1 F, Rio Grande do Norte, Potiguar Basin MT# 84-2, Bottom trawl, 1939 m, 04° 25,76’ S/ 036° 28,03’ W; 04° 25,88’ S / 036° 35,42’ W, 14 May 2011, MOUFPE: 15.671. 1 M, Rio Grande do Norte, Potiguar Basin, MT# 85, Bottom trawl, 2004 m, 04° 25,76’ S / 036° 28,03’ W; 04° 25,88’ S/ 036° 35,42’ W, MOUFPE: 15.669. 1 M and 1 F, Ceará Chain, Abracos 2 ST#54B/ Leg. 2, Midwater Tow, 1030 m, 03° 45,28 S/ 034° 41,06 ‘ W, 0 3 May 2017, MOUPE: 18.419. 1 F, Ceará Chain, Abracos 2 ST# 52A/ Leg. 2, Midwater Tow, 984 m, 03° 15,70’ S/ 033° 25,15’ W; 03° 42,22’ S/ 033° 24,59’ W, 0 2 May 2017, MOUFPE: 18.441 .

Diagnosis: Carapace with a thin crest that projects in a rounded rostrum from 4–6 spiniform teeth dorsally, anterior one styliform and longer than others; antennal spine small; branchiostegal spine supported by a long carina, reaching 2/3 of carapace. Abdomen dorsally carinate on all somites, except on somite 1; somites 3 to 6 with posteromesial tooth; the one of somite 3 distinctly strong. Male pleopod 1, endopod rounded, with numerous long, stout setae on anterior margin, and a distal lobe with hook setae. Male pleopod 2, appendix interna 1 ¼ length of appendix masculina, apex triangular with hook setae; appendix masculina with rounded apex, acute, simple setae on distal margin (Modified from Cardoso & Young 2005).

Distribution: Western Atlantic: United States (off New Jersey, Florida), off Bermudas, Gulf of Mexico, Isla la Tortuga, Brazil: (Ceará Chain (Seamounts), Rio Grande do Norte, Alagoas and off Espírito Santo). Eastern At- lantic: Portugal: (Canary, Madeira and Cape Verde Islands), Sahara Occidental. Indo-Pacific Oceans: South Africa: (Natal), Tuamotu Archipelago (Barnard 1950; Chace 1986; Cardoso & Young 2005; Pequegnat & Wicksten 2006; Serejo & Cardoso 2010) (Fig. 12).

Bathymetric distribution: 700–3548 m depth (Barnard 1950; Chace 1986; Cardoso & Young 2005; Pequegnat & Wicksten 2006; Burghart et al. 2007; Serejo & Cardoso 2010), herein this species was found in Potiguar Basin between the depths of 989–2163 m and in Ceará Chain in depths between 984–1030 m.

Remarks: The specimens analyzed herein do not differ from the descriptions of Spence Bate (1888) and Cardoso & Young (2005). The main characteristics of A. stylorostratis are the rostrum shape, carapace without dorsal carina and a short branchiostegal groove (Fig. 11 A–B). Acanthephyra stylorostratis is similar to A. tenuipes (Spence Bate, 1888), by presenting rostrum short with 6–7 dorsal teeth (Fig. 11B). However, these species differ from each other in the following way (characters of A. tenuipes in parentheses): a long branchiostegal carina (vs not supported by a carina), a dorsal carina on abdominal somite 2 (vs absent), the dorsal tooth on the abdominal somite 3 is not curved (vs low and curved to left). Acanthephyra stylorostratis occurs in Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans (Fig. 12), in bathypelagic zones as related by Cardoso & Young (2005), however, in Southwest Atlantic (Brazilian waters), A. stylorostratis was recorded for the first time by Cardoso & Young (2005) from State of Espírito Santo, after that, Judkins (2014) recorded this species off State of Alagoas. In this paper, we reports A. stylorostratis for the first time in Potiguar Basin and in Ceará Chain (Seamounts) in Southwestern Atlantic.