Zuzalpheus herricki ( Coutière, 1909 ) Ríos, Rubén & Duffy, J. Emmett, 2007

Ríos, Rubén & Duffy, J. Emmett, 2007, A review of the sponge‑dwelling snapping shrimp from Carrie Bow Cay, Belize, with description of Zuzalpheus, new genus, and six new species (Crustacea: Decapoda: Alpheidae), Zootaxa 1602 (1), pp. 1-89 : 34-35

Zuzalpheus herricki ( Coutière, 1909) n. comb.

( Plate 3 )

Synalpheus herricki Coutière, 1909: 74–78 , fig. 44; Dardeau 1984: 55–64, figs. 27–30 (and synonymy, maybe excluding Synalpheus tanneri Coutière, 1909 ).

Material examined. (1) 2 ovigerous ♀ ( VIMS 05 CBC3704) 4.0– 5.7 mm, outer ridge of Curlew Reef , Belize (16º44’54.1”N, 88º04’21.7”W), 15 July 2005, in Hymeniacidon amphilecta , 15 m.

(2) 1 ovigerous ♀ ( VIMS 93 CBC3801), 4.1 mm, 2 ♂ ( VIMS 93 CBC3803, 93CBC3804), 3.4 and 4.1 mm, fore-reef at Carrie Bow Cay , Belize, 23 March 1993, in Hymeniacidon amphilecta , 5–7 m.

(3) 1 ovigerous ♀ ( VIMS 93 CBC5820), 4.3 mm, 1 ♂ ( VIMS 93 CBC5803), 5.3 mm, outer ridge at Carrie Bow Cay , Belize, 27 March 1993, in Hymeniacidon amphilecta , 13 m.

(4) 1 ovigerous ♀ ( VIMS 99 CBC3307), 1 ♂ ( VIMS 99 CBC3308), outer ridge of Carrie Bow Cay , Belize ,

6 December 1999, in Hyattella intestinalis , 17 m.

Diagnosis. Body subcylindrical; carapace smooth, sparsely setose, with pterygostomian corner produced into bluntly acute angle, and posterior margin with cardiac notch distinct. Rostrum wider than ocular hoods, about as long as ocular hoods, and distally upturned; margins in dorsal view, convex. Orbitorostral process absent. Ocular hoods dorsally convex; in dorsal view, bluntly triangular, margins convex, separated from rostrum by deep adrostral sinus. Ocular processes produced into a fingerlike structure. Ocellary beak in lateral view not rodlike. Stylocerite slender; mesial margin convex; tip acute; distinctly shorter than distal margin of first segment of antennular peduncle; this latter segment without mesio-ventral tooth, and with 2 basal ventral processes. Basicerite without spine on dorso-lateral corner, and with longer ventrolateral spine clearly overreaching tip of stylocerite. Scaphocerite with blade absent, and with robust, acute lateral spine with lateral margin slightly concave, not overreaching antennular peduncle; mesial projection at base of scaphocerite present. Maxilliped 3 with distal circlet of spines on distal segment, and without ventro-distal spine on antepenultimate segment

Major pereopod 1 massive, fingers clearly less than half length of palm; fixed finger about as long as dactyl; in ventral view, outer face of fixed finger without lateral protuberance. Palm of chela with distal superior margin produced into tapering acute spine. Merus, extensor margin strongly convex, with distal angular projection.

Minor pereopod 1 with palm clearly less than two times longer than high; fingers clearly shorter than palm; dactyl with flexor margin straight, blade-like, with two distinct distal teeth, subequal in length, and parallel to dactyl axis; transverse dorsal setal combs on extensor surface of dactyl very conspicuous; fixed finger with flexor margin straight, blade-like, and 2 distinct teeth subequal in length. Extensor margin of merus convex, ending in obtuse angle.

Pereopod 2 carpus with five segments; and distinctly longer than merus.

Pereopod 3 slender; dactyl biunguiculate, with subequal teeth; merus without movable spines on flexor margin; mesial lamella on coxa present.

Pleura 1 of male with posterior corner acutely produced ventrally; second pleura of male rounded to obtuse. Pleopod 1 of male, with many terminal setae on endopod; second pleopod of male with marginal setae on exopod originating near midpoint; appendix interna on second to fifth male pleopods, present. Telson, space between distal spines equal or less than one third of distal margin; marginal convex lobe present; posterior corners adjacent to spines rectangular. Anal flaps, perianal setae, and postanal setal brush all absent. Uropods with a single fixed tooth on outer margin of exopod.

Color ( Plate 3 ). Body translucent whitish with brown-tinged distal palm and fingers of major chela. Ovaries and eggs pale green to drab olive.

Hosts and ecology. In Belize we have collected only a few specimens of Zuzalpheus herricki , which came from the sponges Hymeniacidon amphilecta and Hyattella intestinalis , on the outer reef ridge at Carrie Bow Cay from depths of 15– 20 m.

Distribution. Western Atlantic: Anclote, Florida, USA ( Coutière 1909); possibly from Eleuthera, Bahamas ( Chace 1972); Gulf of Mexico ( Coutière 1909; Dardeau 1984); Belize Barrier Reef (this study).

Remarks. Zuzalpheus herricki can be distinguished from all other West Atlantic Zuzalpheus by the unique concavities along the ventral margins of male abdominal pleura 3 and 4, giving the ventral margins of these pleura a W-shaped appearance. Another character useful in diagnosing Z. herricki is the dactyl of the major chela, which in Belizean specimens terminates in a distinct, ventrally directed tooth, separated from the rest of the dactyl by a constriction or indentation on the flexor margin of the dactyl. This feature is also visible in Dardeau’s (1984) figures 27 and 28 of the lectotype from Anclote, Florida. Dardeau (1984) redescribed this species, designating a lectotype, and summarized its long and confused taxonomic history. As he noted, the lateral branch of the uropod in Z. herricki typically has a single fixed tooth lateral to the movable spine, although multiple teeth occur in some specimens. In our key to Zuzalpheus , we have thus followed Dardeau (1984) in including this species in the group characterized by a single fixed tooth lateral to the movable spine.

Figures

PLATE 3. Zuzalpheus filidigitus, female (VIMS 01CBC0901) from Xestospongia cf. proxima, Curlew Reef, Belize. Zuzalpheus herricki, female (VIMS 05FK0602) from Hippospongia sp., Tavernier Key, Florida, USA. Zuzalpheus goodei, female (VIMS 03CBC3701) from Pachypellina podatypa, Sand Bores, Belize. Zuzalpheus goodei, male (VIMS 03CBC3702) from Pachypellina podatypa, Sand Bores, Belize. Zuzalpheus idios, female (VIMS 01CBC8001) from Hymeniacidon amphilecta, Carrie Bow Cay, Belize. Zuzalpheus kensleyi, female (VIMS 01CBC3802) from unidentified yellow sponge, Sand Bores, Belize.