Leptalpheus hendrickxi Anker, 2011

Scioli, Justin A., Robles, Rafael & Felder, Darryl L., 2024, New species and records of the symbiotic shrimp genus Leptalpheus Williams, 1965, with notes on Fenneralpheus Felder & Manning, 1986, and preliminary molecular analysis of phylogenetic relationships (Crustacea: Decapoda: Alpheidae), Zootaxa 5466 (1), pp. 1-72 : 49-50

Leptalpheus hendrickxi Anker, 2011

( Figs. 20a, b )

Leptalpheus hendrickxi Anker, 2011: 15 , figs. 11–14.— Salgado-Barrágan et al., 2014: 581 , fig. 7.

Leptalpheus sp. 8 .— Anker et al., 2006b: table 1.

“ Leptalpheus ” nov. sp. A.— Felder et al., 2003: table 3, fig. 4E.

“ Leptalpheus ” sp. 7.— Robles, 2005: chapter 3, table 1.

Material examined. Nicaragua: 1 female (cl 4.6 mm), ULLZ 11824 [ USNM 1545913 ], Pacific coast, León, Las Peñitas , coll. D.L. Felder & R. Robles, 14.08.2001 ; 1 ovigerous female (cl 6.6 mm), ULLZ 11825 [ USNM 1545914 ], same locality as previous, coll. D.L. Felder & R. Robles, 14.08.2001 ; 1 ovigerous female (cl 6.1 mm), ULLZ 11827 [ USNM 1545916 ], same locality as previous, coll. D.L. Felder & R. Robles, 14.08.2001 ; 1 female (cl 5.6 mm), ULLZ 18226 [ USNM 1706492 ], same locality as previous, coll. D.L. Felder & R. Robles , 1 female (cl 6.4 mm), ULLZ 18268 [ USNM 1706507 ], same locality as previous, coll. D.L. Felder & R. Robles, 27.09.2000 ; 1 female (cl 9.4 mm), ULLZ 6036 [ USNM 1541281 ], same locality as previous, coll. D.L. Felder & R. Robles, 27.09.2000 ; 1 male (cl 9.9 mm), ULLZ 18209 [ USNM 1706478 ], Pacific coast, León, La Garita, Salinas Grandes , estuary, with Lepidophthalmus natesi (host catalog no. ULLZ 18208 [ USNM 1706477 ]), coll. J.A. Cuesta, R. Robles & I.T. Rodriguez, 17.11.2001 ; 2 males (cl 7.6, 9.1 mm), ULLZ 18211 [ USNM 1706480 ], same locality as previous, with Lepidophthalmus bocourti (host catalog no. ULLZ 18210 [ USNM 1706479 ]), coll. J.A. Cuesta, R. Robles & I.T. Rodriguez, 17.11.2001 ; 1 male (cl 10.2 mm), 2 non-ovigerous females (cl 5.5, 5.8 mm), 1 ovigerous female (cl 4.7 mm), ULLZ 18218 [ USNM 1706485 ], same locality as previous, with L. bocourti (host catalog no. ULLZ 18217 [ USNM 1706484 ]), coll. J.A. Cuesta, R. Robles & I.T. Rodriguez, 17.11.2001 ; 1 male (cl 7.7 mm), ULLZ 18212 [ USNM 1706481 ], same locality as previous, coll. J.A. Cuesta, R. Robles & I.T. Rodriguez, 17.11.2001 ; 1 male (cl 5.5 mm), ULLZ 18189 [ USNM 1706459 ], Pacific coast, León, Estero Ciego , with Lepidophthalmus sp. , coll. D.L. Felder & R. Robles, 29.09.2000 ; 1 female (cl 8.6 mm), ULLZ 18225 [ USNM 1706491 ], same locality as previous, coll. D.L. Felder & R. Robles, 15.08.2000 ; 1 female (cl 4.8 mm), ULLZ 12861 [ USNM 1546526 ], Pacific coast, Chinandega, Paso Caballos , with L. bocourti (host catalog no. ULLZ 12860 [ USNM 1546525 ]), coll. D.L. Felder & R. Robles, 16.08.2001 ; 1 male (cl 8.5 mm), ULLZ 17838 [ USNM 1706380 ], same locality as previous, with L. bocourti (host catalog no. ULLZ 17837 [ USNM 1706379 ]), coll. J.A. Cuesta, R. Robles & D.L. Felder, 21.11.2001 ; 2 females (cl 3.5, 7.3 mm), ULLZ 18057 [ USNM 1706388 ], same locality as previous, coll. D.L. Felder & R. Robles, 30.09.2001 ; 1 female (cl 6.3 mm), ULLZ 18188 [ USNM 1706458 ], same locality as previous, with L. bocourti (host catalog no. ULLZ 18187 [ USNM 1706457 ]), coll. J.A. Cuesta, R. Robles & I.T. Rodriguez, 21.11.2001 ; 1 female (cl 6.7 mm), ULLZ 18191 [ USNM 1706461 ], same locality as previous, with L. bocourti (host catalog no. ULLZ 18190 [ USNM 1706460 ]), coll. J.A. Cuesta, R. Robles & I.T. Rodriguez, 21.11.2001 ; 1 ovigerous female (cl 7.6 mm), ULLZ 18193 [ USNM 1706463 ], same locality as previous, with L. bocourti (host catalog no. ULLZ 18192 [ USNM 1706462 ]), coll. J.A. Cuesta, R. Robles & I.T. Rodriguez, 21.11.2001 ; 1 female (cl 6.5 mm), ULLZ 18195 [ USNM 1706465 ], same locality as previous, with L. bocourti (host catalog no. ULLZ 18194 [ USNM 1706464 ]), coll. J.A. Cuesta, R. Robles & I.T. Rodriguez, 21.11.2001 ; 1 female (cl 4.8 mm), ULLZ 18197 [ USNM 1706467 ], same locality as previous, with Lepidophthalmus sp. (host catalog no. ULLZ 18196 [ USNM 1706466 ]), coll. J.A. Cuesta, R. Robles & I.T. Rodriguez, 21.11.2001 ; 1 male (cl 7.9 mm), ULLZ 18199 [ USNM 1706469 ], same locality as previous, with L. bocourti (host catalog no. ULLZ 18198 [ USNM 1706468 ]), coll. J.A. Cuesta, R. Robles & I.T. Rodriguez, 21.11.2001 ; 1 male (cl 6.9 mm), ULLZ 18201 [ USNM 1706471 ], same locality as previous, with L. bocourti (host catalog no. ULLZ 18200 [ USNM 1706470 ]), coll. J.A. Cuesta, R. Robles & I.T. Rodriguez, 21.11.2001 ; 1 female (cl 6.3 mm), ULLZ 18203 [ USNM 1706473 ], same locality as previous, with L. bocourti (host catalog no. ULLZ 18202 [ USNM 1706472 ]), coll. J.A. Cuesta, R. Robles & I.T. Rodriguez, 21.11.2001 ; 2 non-ovigerous females (cl 5.7, 7.8 mm), 1 ovigerous female (cl 5.1 mm), ULLZ 18205 [ USNM 1706475 ], same locality as previous, with L. bocourti (host catalog no. ULLZ 18204 [ USNM 1706474 ]), coll. J.A. Cuesta, R. Robles & I.T. Rodriguez, 21.11.2001 ; 1 male (cl 5.4 mm), 1 female (cl 7.4 mm), ULLZ 18207 [ USNM 1706476 ], same locality as previous, coll. D.L. Felder & R. Robles, 16.08.2001 ; 1 male (cl 6.2 mm), ULLZ 18240 [ USNM 1706505 ], same locality as previous, with L. bocourti (host catalog no. ULLZ 18239 [ USNM 1706504 ]), coll. J.A. Cuesta, R. Robles & I.T. Rodriguez, 21.11.2001 ; 1 male (cl 5.9 mm), ULLZ 5767 [ USNM 1541131 ], same locality as previous, with L. bocourti (host catalog no. ULLZ 4637 [ USNM 1540466 ]), coll. D.L. Felder & R. Robles, 14.08.2001 ; 1 female (cl 6.6 mm), ULLZ 5769 [ USNM 1541133 ], same locality as previous, with L. bocourti (host catalog no. ULLZ 5768 [ USNM 1541132 ]), coll. D.L. Felder & R. Robles, 30.09.2000 ; 1 male (cl 7.7 mm), ULLZ 5810 [ USNM 1541151 ], same locality as previous, coll. D.L. Felder & R. Robles, 30.09.2000 ; 1 male (cl 5.9 mm), 1 female (cl 6.5 mm), ULLZ 6035 [ USNM 1541280 ], same locality as previous, coll. D.L. Felder, 12.04.2000 ; 2 females (cl 5.8, 8.4 mm), ULLZ 6537 [ USNM 1541521 ], Pacific coast, Chinandega, Estero Aposentillo , mangrove channels, coll. D.L. Felder & S.F. Nates, 15.04.2000 ; 4 males (cl 5.2–5.9 mm), 1 female (cl 4.8 mm), 4 ovigerous females (cl 4.9–5.5 mm), ULLZ 18214 [ USNM 1706483 ], Pacific coast, Chinandega, Estero Padre Ramos , with L. bocourti , coll. D.L. Felder & S.F. Nates, 14.04.2000 .

Description. See Anker (2011).

Color in life. Semitransparent with red chromatophores throughout much of body; chromatophores densest on antennal and antennular peduncles, uropods, telson, carapace, and anterior margins of the abdominal somites where they form transverse bands; carpus and distal region of merus of major cheliped distinctly reddish; walking legs semitransparent, without chromatophores; major chela hyaline-white ( Figs. 20a, b ; also see Anker 2011: fig. 14).

Type locality. Playa El Agallito near Chitré, Pacific coast, Panama .

Distribution. Tropical eastern Pacific region: Panama ( Anker 2011), Nicaragua ( Felder et al. 2003; present study), and Jalisco, Mexico ( Salgado-Barrágan et al. 2014).

Ecology. Obligate burrow cohabitant of callichirid ghost shrimps in the genus Lepidophthalmus : associated with L. bocourti in Mexico and Nicaragua ( Salgado-Barrágan et al. 2014; present study) and with L. natesi in Nicaragua.

Remarks. Leptalpheus hendrickxi is a morphologically distinct species that is easily distinguished from other species of Leptalpheus and related genera by the presence of strong teeth on the dorsal margin of the merus of the major cheliped and on the ventromesial margin of the merus of the minor cheliped, as well as the unique armature of the major chela. The distinct, intense red coloration of the carpus and distal portion of the merus of the major cheliped also appear to be diagnostic of this species.

16S sequence data published herein from specimens of L. hendrickxi from Nicaragua were minimally divergent from the sequence of L. hendrickxi from Mexico published by Salgado-Barrágan et al. (2017), supporting that L. hendrickxi is a single species ranging from the Pacific coast of Panama to Mexico. Our phylogenetic analysis confidently recovered (Bs = 99) L. hendrickxi as a member of the L. axianassae species group with L. axianassae , L. azuero , and L. corderoae . The results of Chow et al. (2021) also confidently recovered this clade (Bs = 100), except for L. corderoae , which was not included in their analysis. The phylogenetic position of L. hendrickxi , a species which lacks adhesive disks on the major cheliped, nested within a lineage of species with these structures, suggests that L. hendrickxi may represent a secondary loss of adhesive disks. As these structures aid in the energy storage of the cocking mechanism of the snapping claw ( Kaji et al. 2018), their potential secondary loss could result in reduced power amplification. The biomechanical, ecological, and evolutionary implications of the putative loss of adhesive disks in the major chela of L. hendrickxi is a topic worthy of future investigation.

Figures

FIGURE 20. Color patterns of the Leptalpheus axianassae species group. Leptalpheus hendrickxi Anker, 2011: a, male (cl 7.7 mm), ULLZ 5810 [USNM 1541151], from Paso Caballos, Nicaragua, lateral; b, female (cl 9.4 mm), ULLZ 6036 [USNM 1541281], from Las Peñitas, Nicaragua, lateral. Leptalpheus corderoae Salgado-Barragán et al., 2014: c, female (cl 8.3 mm), ULLZ 18237 [USNM 1706503], from Las Peñitas, Nicaragua, lateral. Leptalpheus axianassae Dworschak & Coelho, 1999: d, ovigerous female (cl 8.4 mm), ULLZ 18173 [USNM 1706443], from Ft. Pierce, Florida, USA, lateral; e, male (cl 7.3 mm), ULLZ 18173 [USNM 1706443], from Ft. Pierce, Florida, USA, lateral; f, male (cl 7.1 mm), UF 51713, from Bocas del Toro, Panama, lateral; g, same, dorsal; h, same, close-up of major chela, lateral. Photographs by the third author (a–e) and Paulo P.G. Pachelle (f–h).