Quadrimaera sarae Krapp-Schickel & Ruffo, 2000

White, Kristine N. & Sir, Sally J., 2024, Caribbean Amphipoda (Crustacea) of Panama. Part II: parvorder Hadziidira, ZooKeys 1195, pp. 249-296 : 249

Quadrimaera sarae Krapp-Schickel & Ruffo, 2000

Figs 15 , 29A

Quadrimaera sarae Krapp-Schickel & Ruffo, 2000: 206-213, figs 8-10.

Material examined.

Panama • 4-5 mm • 2 ♂, 2 ♀; Bocas del Toro, Swan Cay ; 9.453333°N, 82.298333°W; depth 2-3 m; among coral rubble; 4 Aug 2005; S. DeGrave leg.; GCRL 6646 • 1 ♂; Bocas del Toro, Drago; 9.418056 N, 82.3375°W; depth 3 m, among coral rubble; 9 Aug 2021; K.N. White leg.; USNM 1703529 .

Diagnosis.

Antenna 1 accessory flagellum 7-articulate. Gnathopod 1 coxa anteroventrally produced; carpus elongate with slight dorsal depression and two short and three long facial setal rows. Gnathopod 2 propodus palmar margin with U-shaped excavation surrounded by one subquadrate and one quadrate projection, palm defined by small projection; dactylus medially expanded. Pereopods 3 and 4 dactyli simple; pereopods 5-7 dactyli bifid. Telson, lobes apically excavated, each with four long apical spines.

Distribution.

Turks and Caicos, Fort George Cay; Mexico: Yucatán; Venezuela: Tobago Island ( Krapp-Schickel and Ruffo 2000); Panama: Bocas del Toro (present study).

Ecology and remarks.

These amphipods are associated with coral rubble at depths of 0.3-3 m. Panamanian specimens closely resemble previously described specimens, including the characteristic gnathopod 2 propodus palm, simple pereopods 3 and 4 dactyli, and bifid pereopods 5-7 dactyli, which are unique to this species. The excavation on the gnathopod 2 propodus is larger in our 4.2 mm male than shown in the holotype (4.7 mm male) and there are more than three spines on the pereopods 3 and 4 bases in Panamanian specimens, but given the striking similarity in every other character, we are considering this as a regional variation.

Figures

Figure 15. Quadrimaera sarae, male, 4.2 mm, gnathopod 1 propodus, carpus, dactylus medial, pereopod 3 dactylus, pereopod 5 dactylus, gnathopod 2 medial, coxa 1, telson. Scale bars: 0.5 mm.

Figure 29. Photographs of live specimens unless noted A Quadrimaera sarae B Quadrimaera yemanjae C Dulichiella anisochir (ethanol preserved specimen) D Dulichiella lecroyae E Melita planaterga F Hornellia tequestae. Scale bars: 1.0 mm.