Glyphocrangon alispina Chace, 1939

Vázquez-Bader, Ana Rosa & Gracia, Adolfo, 2013, Crangonidae and Glyphocrangonidae (Decapoda; Caridea) of the Southern Gulf of Mexico, Zootaxa 3669 (3), pp. 367-383 : 373-374

Glyphocrangon alispina Chace, 1939

( Figs. 6 , 7 )

Glyphocrangon alispina Chace, 1939: 39 (type locality: north of Matanzas Province, Cuba, 23°24’N, 81°00.5’W).— Pequegnat 1970: 105.— Holthuis 1971: 347, fig. 15.— Komai 2004a: 3, fig. 1C, D.

Material examined. BIOREPES2 stn 27, ♀ 1; stn 36, ♂ 1, ♀ 1, ovigerous ♀ 3. BIOREPES3 stn A9, ♀ 1; stn A13, ♂ 9, ♀ 11, ovigerous ♀ 28; stn A14, ♂ 4, ♀ 10, ovigerous ♀ 9; stn A15, ♂ 1; stn A17, ovigerous ♀ 1. COBERPES stn A5b, ovigerous ♀ 4; stn A6, ♀ 2, ovigerous ♀ 1; stn B4, ovigerous ♀ 6; stn B6, ovigerous ♀ 1; stn B8, ♀ 1, ovigerous ♀ 1; stn B11, ♀ 1; stn B12, ♂ 1, ♀ 3, ovigerous ♀ 11; stn Ω1, ♂ 1, ♀ 1, ovigerous ♀ 1; stn Ω5, ♂ 3, ovigerous ♀ 25; stn Ω7, ♀ 3, ovigerous ♀ 11; stn Ω8, ♂ 10, ♀ 3, ovigerous ♀ 16; stn Ω9, ♂ 1, ♀ 2, ovigerous ♀ 2; stn Ω10, ovigerous ♀ 1. COBERPES 2011 stn C5, ♂ 2, ♀ 1, juvenile 1.

Overall Geographic and Bathymetric Distribution. This species has been recorded in the entire Caribbean Sea, including the Gulf of Mexico (NW; NE; SW; SE), from the Florida Straits to British Guiana; at a 548–1865 m depth range ( Holthuis, 1971, Felder et al. 2009).

Distribution in the Southwestern and Southeastern Gulf of Mexico. Within study area we collected G. alispina in Tamaulipas: Laguna Madre (WSW); Veracruz: Coatzacoalcos and Tonalá rivers (SSW); Tabasco: Carmen-Machona, and Mecoacán Lagoons, Grijalva-Usumacinta rivers (SSW); Yucatán: N of Alacranes reef (SSE); from 671.9 to 1144.0 m depth on clay and muddy shell sediment ( Fig. 6 ).

Remarks. We caught 195 individuals in all research cruises. The maximum abundance was found during autumn 2009 in front of Laguna Madre at 699 m depth. Male mean size was small (14.64 ± 1.50 SD), compared to females (15.16 ± 1.37 SD), and ovigerous females (16.33 ± 1.18 SD). Sex ratio favoured females 4.97: 1 male, the ovigerous females counting 74.7% of the total females. Females (non-ovigerous and ovigerous) were found in a wider depth range (671.9 to 1144 m depth), than males (699 to 1047.9 m depth). Size depth distribution showed that the smallest size for females (12.4 mm CL) and males (10.0 mm CL) occurred at the depth interval of 700– 799, while the ovigerous females (13.0 mm CL) were collected deeper (1000–1099 m depth) ( Fig.7a, b, c ). In spite of this apparent size distribution pattern, ANOVA results by size and depth did not show significant differences (males: F= 2.6354, p= 0.0685; females: F= 0.8502, p= 0.05029; ovigerous females: F= 2.42, p= 0.0522 ( Fig. 7a, b, c ). Ovigerous females were more abundant in autumn and summer. They were mainly found in front of Laguna Madre and Grijalva-Usumacinta rivers accounting 75% of the total number of females.

Figures

FIGURE 6. Map of distribution of G. alispina in the southern Gulf of Mexico. Abbreviations: T= Tamaulipas, V= Veracruz, TA= Tabasco, CA= Campeche, Y= Yucatán, QR= Quintana Roo.

FIGURE 7. Size distribution by sex and depth interval of G. alispina, a) females; b) males; c) ovigerous females.