Synalpheus

Hultgren, Kristin M., Iii, Kenneth S Macdonald & Duffy, Emmett, 2011, Sponge-dwelling snapping shrimps (Alpheidae: Synalpheus) of Barbados, West Indies, with a description of a new eusocial species, Zootaxa 2834, pp. 1-16 : 13-14

Synalpheus ul ( Rios & Duffy 2007)

Material examined. Barbados: 1 ovigerous female, 4 non-ovigerous individuals ( VIMS 08BR3901, 4901, 5002–3, 5102), Brandon’s Beach, from Agelas clathrodes . 1 ovigerous female ( VIMS 08BR202), Pamir reef, from Xestospongia proxima . 3 ovigerous females, 8 non-ovigerous individuals ( VIMS 08BR3101, 08BR9004, 08BR9201–2, 08BR9601–2, 9605, 08BR10101–2), Thunder Bay, from Agelas clathrodes . 1 non-ovigerous individual ( VIMS 08BR2801), Thunder Bay, from Hymeniacidon caerulea . 9 ovigerous females, 14 non-ovigerous individuals ( VIMS 08BR2602–3, 08BR2701–5, 08BR8703–6, 08BR9301–2, 08BR9901–4, 08BR10001–2), Thunder Bay, from Spirastrella sp. 1 non-ovigerous individual ( VIMS 08BR3501), Thunder Bay, host unknown. 1 non-ovigerous individual ( VIMS 08BR 9401), Thunder Bay, in Xestospongia proxima . Largest ovigerous female, CL 2.82 mm, largest non-ovigerous individual, CL 3.00 mm.

Color. Individuals typically had a body color that ranged from orange-tinged to yellowish orange or orange; major chelae had brownish-orange tips; females had orange ovaries.

Hosts and ecology. In Barbados, S. ul occurred primarily in Spirastrella sp. and Agelas clathrodes , and to a lesser degree in Hymeniacidon caerulea and Xestospongia proxima .

Distribution. Curaçao, Panama (Hultgren et al. 2010); Belize (Macdonald et al. 2006; Ríos & Duffy 2007); Jamaica ( Macdonald et al. 2009); Barbados (this study).

Remarks. Although S. ul often co-occurs with closely related species, sometimes in the same individual sponges, it can be distinguished from them using a combination of morphological characters. In Lissodendoryx and Spirastrella spp., S. ul can be distinguished from S. pandionis by the scaphocerite blade (typically <25% of the length in S. ul, vs. 40–90% the length of the ventral spine of the scaphocerite in S. pandionis ), and the posterior corner of the male second pleura (obtuse in S. ul, acute in S. pandionis ). In Agelas clathrodes , S. ul can be distinguished from S. hoetjesi by the relative width of the distal telson spines (medial spines similar in thickness in S. ul vs. distinctly thicker than lateral spines in S. hoetjesi ) and relatively larger body size of S. hoetjesi (mean CL = 2.37 mm CL ± 0.107 for S. ul vs. 3.29 mm ± 0.144 in S. hoetjesi ).