Zuzalpheus dardeaui, Rios & Duffy, 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 : 18-23

Zuzalpheus dardeaui , n. sp.

( Figs. 3–6 , Plate 2 )

Synalpheus sp. 1 , new species Ríos 2003: 55, figures 2–2 through 2–5, plate I.

Synalpheus “ pandionis giant”: Morrison et al. 2004; Macdonald et al. 2006.

Material examined. ( 1) Holotype ♂, 8.5 mm ( USNM 1019038 , VIMS 01CBC7406), allotype ovigerous ♀, 9.9 mm ( USNM 1019039 , VIMS 01CBC7407), Twin Cays , Belize 26 April 2001 in Lissodendoryx colombiensis , 1 m.

(2) Paratypes: 1 ♂, 7.6 mm, 1 ♀, 9.2 mm ( USNM 1019040 , VIMS 99CBC0103, VIMS 99CBC0102) ; 1 ♂, 7.6 mm, 1 ovigerous ♀, 9.1 mm ( USNM 1019041 , VIMS 99CBC0201, VIMS 99CBC0401), Twin Cays , Belize, 2 December 1999 in Lissodendoryx colombiensis , 2 m .

(3) 2 ovigerous ♀ ( VIMS 93 CBC2006, 93CBC2007), 6.5 and 6.8 mm, 1 ♂ ( VIMS 93 CBC2011), 5.1 mm, Blue Ground Range , W of Carrie Bow Cay, Belize, 19 March 1993, in Spheciospongia vesparium , 1.5 m .

(4) 1 ovigerous ♀ ( VIMS 93 CBC2110), 7.2 mm, 1 ♂ ( VIMS 93 CBC2106), 5.1 mm, Blue Ground Range , W of Carrie Bow Cay, Belize, 19 March 1993, in Spheciospongia vesparium , 1.5 m .

Description of holotype. Body subcylindrical; carapace smooth, with pterygostomian corner produced into bluntly acute angle, and posterior margin with cardiac notch distinct. Rostrum lanceolate, distally upturned, slightly longer, but clearly narrower, than ocular hoods. Orbitorostral process absent. Ocular hoods dorsally convex; in dorsal view, hoof-shaped, laterally convex, mesially concave, separated from rostrum by deep adrostral sinus. Ocular process produced into elongated fingerlike structure. Ocellary beak with superior margin straight and inferior margin strongly convex. Stylocerite slender; tip acute; mesial margin convex; distinctly shorter than first segment of antennular peduncle; this latter segment without ventromesial tooth, and with 2 basal ventral processes. Basicerite without spine on dorsolateral corner, longer lateral spine clearly overreaching tip of stylocerite. Scaphocerite blade reduced, lateral spine acute, with lateral margin slightly concave, not overreaching antennular peduncle, slightly surpassing basicerite lateral spine; mesial corner at base of scaphocerite right-angled. Carpocerite overreaching antennular peduncle. Maxilliped 3 with distal circlet of spines on distal segment and without ventrodistal spine on antepenultimate segment. Remaining mouthparts as figured.

Major pereopod 1 massive, fingers about half length of palm; fixed finger shorter than dactyl; in ventral view, outer face of fixed finger with obtuse basal protuberance. Palm of chela with distal superior margin produced into prominent tubercle overhanging an acute, forwardly directed spine. Merus with extensor margin strongly convex, with distal flat angular projection on mesial face.

Minor pereopod 1 with palm more than twice as long as high; fingers clearly shorter than palm; dactyl with flexor surface straight, with 2 strong distal teeth, subequal in length, and parallel to dactyl axis; trans- verse dorsal setal combs on extensor surface of dactyl very conspicuous; fixed finger with flexor surface straight, ending in one strong tooth and one slightly shorter, subdistal tooth. Extensor margin of merus slightly convex, ending in obtuse angle.

Pereopod 2 with carpus 5-segmented, distinctly longer than merus.

Pereopod 3 dactyl biunguiculate, with proximal tooth clearly thicker than distal one; propodus with a row of 11 (right leg) or 10 (left leg) mobile spines on flexor margin, and 2 paired subdistal spines; carpus slightly longer than half the propodus, with strong mobile spine on distal flexor corner; merus longer than twice carpus length, about 4 times longer than wide, without movable spines on flexor margin; ischium subtrapezoidal, shorter than carpus, devoid of spines; basis shorter than ischium, lower margin strongly convex; coxa with mesial lamella. Pereopod 4 similar to 3rd, but weaker. Pereopod 5 similar to 3 rd, but more slender, propodus with 11 transverse parallel rows of thick setae on posterior face, and 5 (right leg) or 4 (left leg) mobile spines on ventral margin; carpus almost 3/4 as long as propodus, without distal spine; merus about as long as propodus, without spines.

Pleura 1 of male with anterior ventral corner almost forming right angle, posteroventral corner distinctly produced, hook-like; pleura 2–5 of male produced posteroventrally into acute angle; abdominal segment 6 with acute projection on posteroventral corner, shallow inferior concavity, acutely produced triangular lateral lobe, shallow obtuse upper emargination, and convex dorsal margin slightly overhanging telson. Female allo- type with pleura 1 inferior margin slightly concave, 2 nd to 4 th broadly rounded, 5 th acutely produced ventrally. Pleopod 1 of male with 6 terminal setae on endopod; pleopod 2 of male with marginal setae on exopod originating close to base. Appendix interna on pleopods 2–5 present in both sexes. Telson with space between posterior marginal spines about one-third width of posterior margin; marginal convex lobe present; posterior corners adjacent to spines rectangular. Anal flaps present. Perianal setae absent. Postanal setal brush present. Uropod with 5 (right side) or 4 (left side) fixed teeth on outer margin of exopod anterior to, and distinctly removed from, mobile spine, latter closely adjacent to subequally long but wider fixed tooth on mesial side, diaresis well defined; left uropod with supernumerary mobile spine.

bar = 1 mm for a, b, e, g; and 2 mm for c, d, f, h, i, j, k.

Color ( Plate 2 ). Z. dardeaui varies in color, more or less continuously, between two extremes, at one end a translucent dull gold-tan color with brown-black fingers and distal palm of major first chela, at the other extreme an intense red-orange with darker orange tips on the major chela. Ovaries and ambryos are orange.

Etymology. The specific name is in honor of Michael R. Dardeau, Dauphin Island Sea Lab, Alabama, in recognition of his important work on Zuzalpheus from the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean.

Hosts and ecology. In Belize we have found Zuzalpheus dardeaui , n. sp., regularly in the orange demosponge Lissodendoryx colombiensis and in the loggerhead sponge Spheciospongia vesparium ( Lamarck, 1814b) . On rare occasions it has been collected inside other, unidentified sponges. An infested sponge usually houses a few heterosexual pairs along with other congeneric species.

Distribution. Offshore reefs of North Carolina, USA (J.E. Duffy unpublished), Belize Barrier Reef (this study).

Remarks. This species belongs in a group of closely related and morphologically similar species that includes Z. longicarpus and Z. pandionis ( Table 1). The combination of hoof-shaped ocular hoods, strong dorsal spines on the telson, strong teeth on the minor chela, and a well defined cardiac notch on the carapace provide the most useful characters in identifying Zuzalpheus dardeaui , n. sp. Like Z. longicarpus , Z. dardeaui , n. sp., is among the largest species in the genus from the western Atlantic, and also like that species, Z. dardeaui , n. sp. occurs in Spheciospongia vesparium , making the identification of specimens from this common sponge quite challenging. Careful study has convinced us, however, that the two taxa are indeed separate species, as evidenced by assortative mating among individuals exhibiting the two suites of morphological characters, and by the rarity of intermediates between them.

1 Upper angle of notch distinctly obtuse

Figures

PLATE 2. Zuzalpheus carpenteri, female (VIMS 04CBC4202) from Agelas clathrodes, Long Reef, Belize. Zuzalpheus carpenteri, male (VIMS 04CBC4201) from Agelas clathrodes, Long Reef, Belize. Zuzalpheus chacei, female (VIMS 01CBC1101) from Lissodendoryx cf. strongylata, Curlew Reef, Belize. Zuzalpheus dardeaui, female (VIMS 01CBC7407) from Lissodendoryx colombiensis, Twin Cays, Belize. Zuzalpheus dardeaui, male (VIMS 01CBC706) from Lissodendoryx colombiensis, Twin Cays, Belize. Zuzalpheus elizabethae, female (VIMS 03CBC0801) from Lissodendoryx sp., Carrie Bow Cay, Belize.

FIGURE 3. Zuzalpheus dardeaui, n. sp. Paratype female 9.1 mm (USNM 1019041): a, anterior region of carapace and cephalic appendages, dorsal view; b, same, lateral view. Paratype male 7.6 mm (USNM 1019040): c, abdomen, lateral view. Paratype ovigerous female 9.2 mm (USNM 1019040): d, abdomen, lateral view. Allotype ovigerous female 9.9 mm (USNM 1019039): e, abdomen, lateral view. Paratype male 8.2 mm (VIMS 01CBC7408): f, detail of 4th–6th abdominal pleurae, lateral view. Scale bar = 1 mm for a, b; 2 mm for c, d; 2.5 mm for e; and 1.2 mm for f.

FIGURE 4. Zuzalpheus dardeaui, n. sp. Paratype male 7.6 mm (USNM 1019040): a, major first pereopod, lateral view; b, same, tip of fixed finger, ventral view; c, same, merus, lateral view; d, minor first pereopod, lateral view; e, distal portion of same, alternate lateral view. Paratype ovigerous female 9.2 mm (USNM 1019040): f, distal portion of chela of major first pereopod, lateral view. Paratype female 9.1 mm (USNM 1019041): g, distal portion of chela of major first pereopod, lateral view; h, telson and uropods, dorsal view. Scale bar = 1 mm for a, c, g; 0.66 mm for b; 0.5 mm for d, f, h; and 0.12 mm for e.

FIGURE 5. Zuzalpheus dardeaui, n. sp. Paratype male 7.6 mm (USNM 1019040): a, left third pereopod; b, same, detail of distal portion; c, left fourth pereopod; d, same, detail of distal portion; e, left fifth pereopod; f, same, detail of distal portion; g, left second pereopod; h, same, detail of distal portion. Scale bar = 1 mm for a, c, e, g; 0.25 mm for b, d, f; and 0.5 mm for h.

FIGURE 6. Zuzalpheus dardeaui, n. sp. Paratype male 7.6 mm (USNM 1019040): a, right mandible; b, right first maxilla; c, right second maxilla; d, right first maxilliped; e, right second maxilliped; f, right third maxilliped; g, same, detail of tip; h, left first pleopod; i, left second pleopod. Paratype ovigerous female 9.2 mm (USNM 1019040): j, first pleopod; k, left second pleopod with egg. Scale