Leptalpheus axianassae Dworschak & Coelho, 1999

Leptalpheus axianassae Dworschak & Coelho 1999: 477, figs. 1–30; Pachelle et al. 2016: 10, fig. 6 A, B.

Material examined. 1 male (cl 3.7 mm), GIC-917, Venezuela, Anzoátegui, Mochima National Park, Chimana del Sur Island, 10°16’12.3871”N – 64°38’13.4962”W, shallow subtidal flat near seagrass beds and mangroves, depth 1.5 m, in burrow, suction pump, leg. J. Vera-Caripe, 26 January 2011 .

Distribution. Western Atlantic: Brazil (São Paulo, Ceará), USA (Florida), Venezuela (Anzoátegui) (Dworschak & Coelho 1999; Felder et al. 2003; Pachelle et al. 2016; present study).

Ecology. The single Venezuelan specimen of L. axianassae was collected from a burrow of Axianassa australis Rodrigues & Shimizu, 1992 (Laomediidae), dug in a sandy-muddy substrate, at a depth of about 1.5 m, close to seagrass beds and mangroves.

Remarks. Among the presently known western Atlantic species of Leptalpheus, L. axianassae appears to be morphologically closest to L. lirai sp. nov. (see above). However, the sister species of L. axianassae is undoubtedly the morphologically almost indistinguishable eastern Pacific L. canterakintzi (Anker & Lazarus 2015) . The species is recorded from Venezuela for the first time, increasing the total number of species of Leptalpheus known from this country to five (Anker et al. 2006; Anker & Vera-Caripe 2016).