Alpheus floridanus

Bracken-Grissom, Heather D. & Felder, Darryl L., 2014, Provisional revision of American snapping shrimp allied to Alpheus floridanus Kingsley, 1878 (Crustacea: Decapoda: Alpheidae) with notes on A. floridanus africanus, Zootaxa 3895 (4), pp. 451-491 : 490-491

Key to American species of the Alpheus floridanus complex

1. Antennal scale (scaphocerite) lateral margin sinuous ( Fig. 6 c), medial bend (toward body midline) originating near midlength; pereopod 5 propodus bearing 1–7 movable spines (rarely lacking, often conspicuous) on ventromesial surface ( Fig. 8 e); in life, weakly pigmented except for irregular orange banding on chelae, body translucence overlain by diffuse dorsal aggregations of small orange chromatophores [inner continental shelf, southern Gulf of Mexico, southeastern Florida and Caribbean; eastern Atlantic, Africa]................................................................... Alpheus roblesi sp. nov.

- Antennal scale lateral margin concave ( Figs. 3 a, 4 b, 9 b, 12 b, 15 d), medial bend (if any) restricted to spine at tip; pereopod 5 propodus lacking movable spines along ventromesial surface; in life, body pigmentation varied, sometimes including strongly contrasting dorsal patterns of red, orange, green, brown, or yellow............................................... 2

- Antennal scale blade and its distolateral tooth reaching about to distal end of antennular peduncle, rarely with both slightly over-reaching it, distolateral tooth exceeding blade by <1/10 blade length, if at all.................................. 4

3. Pereopod 3 and 4 propodus bearing 1–2 movable spines on proximal half of ventrolateral margin ( Fig. 11 b, d, e); mandible incisor with strong dentition on <1/2 of cutting edge ( Fig. 10 a); in life, body translucence overlain by diffuse dorsal aggregations of small orange chromatophores, lacking distinct longitudinal bars on carapace and abdomen ( Fig. 2 e–f) [inner continental shelf, Gulf of Mexico and Carribean]...................................................... A. ulalae sp. nov.

- Pereopod 3 and 4 propodus bearing 3 or more movable spines along ventrolateral margin, often extending onto distal half ( Figs. 3 l, m; 5 b, c); mandible incisor with strong dentition along entire margin ( Fig. 3 c); in life, chromatophores forming strong pattern of brownish-maroon to orange longitudinal bars on off-white to pale green background of carapace and abdomen ( Fig. 1 a–g) [nearshore and shallow western Atlantic, southern Gulf of Mexico, Brazil, southeastern Florida and Caribbean].................................................................................. A. floridanus s.s.

4. In life, chromatophores typically rust-orange to red, loosely distributed into interconnected spots and ill-defined lateral bars or crescents on abdominal somites, sixth somite not dorsally more pigmented than preceding somites or proximal half of uropodal endopods ( Fig. 2 j–l); mature specimens with major cheliped ischium lateral longitudinal furrow deeply defined; pereopod 4 propodus bearing 1–4 movable spines on ventrolateral surface [muddy middle and inner continental shelf, northern Gulf of Mexico through Caribbean and Brazil]..................................................... Alpheus platycheirus

- In life, chromatophores typically deep fire-red to reddish brown, densely distributed overall, sixth abdominal somite more densely pigmented than fifth or proximal half of uropodal endopods ( Fig. 2 g–i); mature specimens with major cheliped ischium lateral longitudinal furrow broad, shallow; pereopod 4 propodus bearing 3–4 movable spines on ventrolateral surface [muddy middle and inner continental margins, eastern Pacific, Gulf of California to Ecuador]... Alpheus hephaestus sp. nov.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Color patterns in Alpheus floridanus Kingsley, 1878: a, dorsal view of male, cl 12.1 mm., Fort Pierce, Florida (ULLZ 10569 A); b, dorsal view of ovigerous female, cl 12.4 mm, Fort Pierce, Florida (ULLZ 10569 B); c, dorsal view of ovigerous female, cl 11.8 mm, Carrie Bow Cay, Belize (ULLZ 11128); d, lateral view of ovig. female, cl 10.3 mm, Fort Pierce, Florida (ULLZ 5631); e, lateral view of ovigerous female, cl 11.6 mm, Fort Pierce, Florida (ULLZ 6207); f, g, dorsal and lateral views of male, cl 11.0 mm, Campeche Banks, Mexico (ULLZ 6203).

FIGURE 2. Color patterns of species allied to Alpheus floridanus Kingsley, 1878. Alpheus roblesi sp. nov.: a, b, dorsal and lateral views of male, cl 8.0 mm, Campeche Banks, Mexico (ULLZ 7197 A); c, lateral view of ovigerous female, cl 7.5 mm, Campeche Banks, Mexico (ULLZ 7197 B); d, dorsal view of female, cl 4.9 mm, Campeche Banks, Mexcio (ULLZ 7440). Alpheus ulalae sp. nov.: e, f, lateral view of holotype ovigerous female, cl 7.5 mm, northeastern Gulf of Mexico (USNM 1265092 = tissue / sequence ULLZ 6815). Alpheus hephaestus sp. nov.: g, lateral view of male, cl 9.1 mm, Pacific coast of Costa Rica (ULLZ 6204); h, dorsal view of male, cl 7.1 mm, Pacific coast of Panama (ULLZ 8004); i, dorsal view of male, cl 8.9 mm, Pacific coast of Panama (ULLZ 9508 A). Alpheus platycheirus Boone, 1927: j, dorsal view of damaged female, cl 7.9 mm, northern Gulf of Mexico (ULLZ 6421); k, dorsal view of ovigerous female, cl 9.0 mm, northern Gulf of Mexico (ULLZ 5858); l, dorsal view of male, cl 9.8 mm, northern Gulf of Mexico (ULLZ 5952).

FIGURE 3. Alpheus floridanus Kingsley, 1878: a – o, lectotype female (MCZ 4987): a, anterior carapace, dorsal (right antennal scale broken); b, anterior carapace, left lateral view; c, left mandible, mesial; d, left maxillule, lateral; e, left second maxilla, lateral; f, left first maxilliped, lateral; g, left second maxilliped, lateral; h, right third maxilliped, lateral; i, right major chela, dactylus and propodus, lateral; j, left minor cheliped, ishium, merus, carpus, propodus, and dactylus, mesial; k, right major cheliped, coxa, basis, ishium, merus, and carpus, mesial; l, right third pereopod, lateral; m, left fourth pereopod, lateral; n, abdomen, telson (broken) and uropods, lateral; o, telson and uropods, lateral. Scale bars = 1.0 mm (d – g), 2.0 mm (a – c, h – o).

FIGURE 6. Alpheus roblesi sp. nov.: a – g, holotype male (USNM 1265091 = tissue ULLZ 9141); h, paratype ovigerous female (ULLZ 7197 B): a, habitus, lateral; b, anterior carapace, left side, lateral; c, anterior carapace, dorsal; d, left major cheliped, lateral; e, right minor cheliped, lateral; f, right minor cheliped, propodus and dactylus, mesial (balaeniceps setae shown); g, right second pleopod, appendix interna and appendix masculina (serrated setae shown only in bracket); h, sixth abdominal somite, telson and uropods, dorsal. Scale bars = 2.0 mm.

FIGURE 8. Alpheus roblesi sp. nov.: a – e, holotype male (USNM 1265091 = tissue ULLZ 9141); f, paratype ovigerous female (ULLZ 7197 B): a, left second pereopod, lateral; b, left third pereopod, lateral; c, left fourth pereopod, lateral; d, left fifth pereopod, lateral; e, left fifth pereopod, propodus and dactylus, mesial; f, abdomen, telson, uropods, pleopods, and egg, lateral. Scale bars = 2.0 mm.

FIGURE 10. Alpheus ulalae sp. nov.: a – f, holotype ovig. female (USNM 1265092 = tissue / sequence ULLZ 6815): a, left mandible, mesial; b, left maxillule, lateral; c, left second maxilla, lateral; d, left first maxilliped, lateral; e, left second maxilliped, lateral; f, left third maxilliped, lateral. Scale bars = 1.0 mm (b – e), 2.0 mm (a, f).

FIGURE 11. Alpheus ulalae sp. nov.: a – f, holotype ovig. female (USNM 1265092 = tissue / sequence ULLZ 6815): a, left second pereopod, lateral; b, left third pereopod, lateral (epipod not illustrated); c, dactylus of left third pereopod, dorsal; d, left third pereopod, carpus, propodus, dactylus, mesial; e, left fourth pereopod, lateral; f, left fifth pereopod, lateral. Scale bars = 2.0 mm.