Pontonia manningi Fransen, 2000

Pontonia margarita — Holthuis, 1951:137 [in part]; Chace, 1972:39 [in part]; Williams, 1984:89 [in part]; Abele & Kim, 1986:16 [in part]; Ramos-Porto & Coelho, 1998:339 [in part].

Pontonia manningi — Fransen, 2000:101, 2002:102; Nizinski, 2003:104; Cardoso, 2006:28.

Diagnosis. Rostrum well developed, slightly directed downwards, reaches the half of second segment of antennular peduncle, dorsal margin with small distal tooth, ventral margin with a broad distal tooth. Basal segment of antennular peduncle with stylocerite broad and acute not reaches the half this segment and with anterolateral well-developed spine reaches the half of second segment. Scaphocerite with distal tooth not overreaching the apex of lamella. Carapace with antennal spine. Mandible without palp. First pereopods slender, overreaching the scaphocerite, fingers slightly longer than palm. Second pereopods similar in shape, unequal in size. Major pereopod, cheliped with finger smaller than palm, cutting edge of dactylus with a broad triangular tooth on proximal part and cutting edge of fixed finger with a broad tooth on proximal and a triangular tooth on distal part. Minor pereopod with fingers major than cheliped. Third to fifth pereopods with bifid dactyli. Abdomen with pleura of first five somites rounded, sixth somite acute. Telson with 2 pairs of dorsal spines and 3 pairs of spines on posterior margin.

Distribution. Western Atlantic: USA (North Caroline, Georgia and Florida), Venezuela ( Margarita Island, Bonaire), Brazil (Maranhão and Espírito Santo). East Atlantic: Cape Verde Islands, Canary Islands (Figure 17). (Fransen, 2002; Cardoso, 2006).

Material examined. MARANHÃO. Maranhão, N.Oc. “Almirante Saldanha”, 1 male, (MZUSP-8945); ESPÍRITO SANTO. (20°10’11”S, 37°27’70”W), 1 male, (MNRJ-19460).

Ecological notes. The species occurs at depths between 3,5 and 60 m inside live scallop Pecten gibbossus, Aequipecten gibbus and Spondylus americanus (Fransen, 2002; Cardoso, 2006).