Synalpheus carpenteri Macdonald & Duffy, 2006

Anker, Arthur, Pachelle, Paulo P. G., Grave, Sammy De & Hultgren, Kristin M., 2012, 3598, Zootaxa 3598 (1), pp. 1-96 : 31

Synalpheus carpenteri Macdonald & Duffy, 2006

( Figs 19 , 20)

Synalpheus carpenteri Macdonald & Duffy 2006: 2 , figs 1–7; Macdonald et al. 2009: 15, pl. 2C.

Zuzalpheus carpenteri — Ríos & Duffy 2007: 15 , pl. 2.

Material examined. Belize: 1 male, 1 female, OUMNH. ZC.2009-01-117, Carrie Bow Cay, north-eastern patch reef, 1648.346’N 8804.928’W, in unidentified sponge, coll. S. De Grave et al., 21.02.2009 [fcn CBC-083A] . St. Martin: 1 male, FLMNH UF 31970 , Réserve Naturelle de Saint-Martin, sta. 22, Chicot , windward side of Tintamarre Island, coral reef, coral rubble brushing, 13–15 m, coll. G. Paulay et al., 12.04.2012 [fcn BSTM-0488*] .

Description. For description and illustrations see Macdonald & Duffy (2006); some morphological features of the St. Martin specimen are illustrated in Fig. 19 .

Size range. The male from St. Martin was measured at 2.6 mm cl; the maximum cl recorded for this species is 3.17 mm for males and 3.78 mm for ovigerous females ( Macdonald et al. 2009).

Colour in life. Semitransparent with pale to bright orange tinge, more intense on major chela fingers, carapace and abdomen with a few scattered red chromatophores (Fig. 20); eggs bright yellow-orange; see colour photograph in Macdonald et al. (2009).

Type locality. Carrie Bow Cay , Belize .

Distribution. Western Atlantic: Caribbean Sea: Belize [Carrie Bow Cay], Panama [San Blas Islands], Jamaica [Discovery Bay, Rio Bueno], St. Martin, Bahamas [Exuma] ( Macdonald & Duffy 2006; Ríos & Duffy 2007; Macdonald et al. 2009; present study; see map in Fig. 51 ).

Ecology. Fore-reefs associated coral rubble bottoms with abundance of sponges, depth range around 10–20 m ( Macdonald & Duffy 2006; Macdonald et al. 2009; present study); obligate symbiont of demosponges Agelas clathrodes and A. dispar ( Macdonald et al. 2009) ; usually in male-female pairs or in small subsocial groups.

Remarks. Synalpheus carpenteri is extremely difficult to separate from the closely related S. bousfieldi (see Macdonald & Duffy 2006 for discussion).

Figures

FIGURE 19. Synalpheus carpenteri Macdonald & Duffy, 2006: male from St. Martin (FLMNH UF 31970); a, frontal region, dorsal; b, distal portion of major chela, mesial; c, first four abdominal somites, lateral; d, telson, dorsal; e, uropod, dorsal. Scale bars: a, b = 0.5 mm; c = 1 mm; d, e = 0.5 mm.

FIGURE 51. Presently known geographic ranges of Synalpheus africanus Crosnier & Forest, 1965; S. cf. africanus (eastern and western Atlantic); S. agelas Pequegnat & Heard, 1979; S. anasimus Chace, 1972; S. antillensis Coutière, 1909; S. apioceros Coutière, 1909; S. bocas Anker & Tóth, 2008; S. bousfieldi Chace, 1972; S. brooksi Coutière, 1909; S. carpenteri Macdonald & Duffy, 2006; S. chacei Duffy, 1998; S. congoensis Crosnier & Forest, 1965; S. dardeaui (Ríos & Duffy, 2007); S. dominicensis Armstrong, 1949; S. elizabethae (Ríos & Duffy, 2007); S. filidigitus Armstrong, 1949; S. fritzmuelleri Coutière, 1909; S. goodei