Synalpheus belizensis Anker & Tóth, 2008

Hultgren, Kristin M., Macdonald Iii, Kenneth S. & Duffy, J. Emmett, 2010, Sponge-dwelling snapping shrimps of Curaçao, with descriptions of three new species *, Zootaxa 2372 (1), pp. 221-262 : 227

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.2372.1.20
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.5314041
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/3E7387F3-0656-F673-A9A5-FED891B383DD
treatment provided by	Felipe
scientific name	Synalpheus belizensis Anker & Tóth, 2008
status

Treatment

Synalpheus belizensis Anker & Tóth, 2008 View in CoL

(Pl. 1D–F)

Material examined. Curaçao: 1 individual ( VIMS 08CU3602), Caracas Baai, no host found. 2 ov. females, 7 non-ov. individuals ( VIMS 08CU11101, 11201–2), Caracas Baai, from the canals of Xestospongia proxima . 1 ov. female, 1 non-ov. individual ( VIMS 08CU3701–2), Caracas Baai, from the canals of Xestospongia sp. “soft ”. 1 ov. female, 3 non-ov. individuals ( VIMS 08CU2903, 08CU10501, 11502), Caracas Baai, from the canals of Xestospongia subtriangularis . 1 non-ov. individual ( VIMS 08CU12102), Eastpunt, no host found. 1 non-ov. individual ( VIMS 08CU12801), Eastpunt, from the canals of Xestospongia sp. “soft ”. 1 non-ov. individual ( VIMS 08CU9301), Piscadera Baai east, no host found. 7 ov. females, 6 non-ov. individuals ( VIMS 08CU9103, 9401, 9501–2, 9701, 10001–2), Piscadera Baai east, from the canals of Xestospongia subtriangularis . 1 ov. female, 1 non-ov. individual ( VIMS 08CU8001–2), Scary Steps, from the canals of Xestospongia proxima . 1 ov. female, 1 non-ov. individual ( VIMS 08CU4902–3), Westpunt, from the canals of Xestospongia proxima . Largest ov. female, CL 4.9 mm, largest non-ov. individual, CL 4.8 mm.

Color. Body translucent, females with bright orange-yellow embryos and ovaries.

Hosts and ecology. In Curaçao, S. belizensis was most often found in sponges in the genus Xestospongia , similar to other locations ( Anker & Tóth 2008; Macdonald et al. 2009). Non-ovigerous S. belizensis individuals that could not be definitively assigned to a sponge host (i.e., no host found) were always found in pieces of rubble that contained Xestospongia spp.

Distribution. Belize ( Anker & Tóth 2008); Jamaica ( Macdonald et al. 2009); Curaçao (this study).

Remarks. S. belizensis individuals collected from Curaçao had particularly distinctive scaphocerite blades, extending from 50% to 80% the length of the scaphocerite lateral spine. This distinctive character easily distinguished S. belizensis from the closely related species Synalpheus bocas (which always lacks a blade) also found in our surveys in Curaçao.