Leptalpheus lirai Vera Caripe, Pereda & Anker, 2021

Scioli, Justin A., Robles, Rafael & Felder, Darryl L., 2024, New species and records of the symbiotic shrimp genus Leptalpheus Williams, 1965, with notes on Fenneralpheus Felder & Manning, 1986, and preliminary molecular analysis of phylogenetic relationships (Crustacea: Decapoda: Alpheidae), Zootaxa 5466 (1), pp. 1-72 : 51

Leptalpheus lirai Vera Caripe, Pereda & Anker, 2021

( Figs. 27–29 )

Leptalpheus lirai Vera Caripe, Pereda & Anker, 2021: 178 , figs. 1–3.

Fenneralpheus nov. sp. E.— Felder et al., 2003: table 3.

“ Fenneralpheus ” sp.— Robles, 2005: chapter 3, table 1.

Material examined. USA: 1 ovigerous female (cl 11.3 mm), ULLZ 18233 [ USNM 1706499 ], Florida, Ft. Pierce, from inlet, coll. R. B. Manning, 08.08.1989; 1 male (cl 7.8 mm) , ULLZ 18234 [ USNM 1706500 ], same locality as previous, coll. D.L. Felder, 01.07.1987 .

Description. See Vera Caripe et al. (2021).

Color in life. Not recorded.

Type locality. Bahía Petare , Gulf of Santa Fe, Sucre, Venezuela .

Distribution. Known only from the type locality in Venezuela ( Vera Caripe et al. 2021) and the Atlantic coast of Florida, USA ( Felder et al. 2003; present study).

Ecology. Burrow cohabitant of a yet unknown host ( Vera Caripe et al. 2021; present study).

Remarks. The material of L. lirai listed above was first reported as an unspecified species of Fenneralpheus from Florida without illustrations or morphological notes ( Felder et al. 2003). This species was later described as a member of Leptalpheus , although the authors mentioned some morphological similarities with the genus Fenneralpheus , namely the robustness and proportions of the walking legs ( Vera Caripe et al. 2021).

The specimens of L. lirai from Florida reported above largely morphologically correspond to the type description, which was based on Venezuelan specimens (compare Figs. 27–29 to Vera Caripe et al. 2021: figs. 2, 3). However, they differ in three notable characters: (1) the specimens from Florida have a more prominent median groove on the frontal margin (compare Fig. 27b vs. Vera Caripe et al. 2021: fig. 2A); (2) the distolateral tooth of the scaphocerite is well-developed and subacute as opposed to reduced to a blunt lobe (compare Fig. 27b, c vs. Vera Caripe et al. 2021: fig. 2A, B); and (3) the carpus of the second pereopod is composed of four rather than five articles (compare Fig. 29b vs. Vera Caripe et al. 2021: fig. 2H).

Our genetic analysis recovered a clade containing L. lirai and F. orabovis with moderate confidence (Bs = 70), but it is worth noting that only a single 16S sequence was amplified from specimens of L. lirai . Interestingly, L. lirai has well developed adhesive disks on the major chela and F. orabovis has feebly developed, rudimentary adhesive disks, whereas its congener F. chacei lacks these structures.

Figures

FIGURE 27. Leptalpheus lirai Vera Caripe et al., 2021, ovigerous female (cl 11.3 mm), ULLZ 18233 [USNM 1706499], from Ft. Pierce, Florida, USA: a, habitus, lateral; b, frontal margin, dorsal; c, same, lateral; d, ventromesial carina of first article of antennular peduncle, lateral; e, antennular peduncle, ventral; f, same, first article, dorsal; g, antennal peduncle, dorsal; h, same, ventral; i, mandible, mesial; j, maxillule, lateral.

FIGURE 28. Leptalpheus lirai Vera Caripe et al., 2021, ovigerous female (cl 11.3 mm), ULLZ 18233 [USNM 1706499] (a–f, i, j), and male (cl 7.8), ULLZ 18234 [USNM 1706500] (g, h), both from Ft. Pierce, Florida, USA: a, maxilla, lateral; b, first maxilliped, lateral; c, second maxilliped, lateral; d, third maxilliped, lateral; e, major cheliped, lateral; f, major chela, lateral; g, same, lateral; h, same, mesial; i, minor cheliped, lateral; j, minor chela, mesial.

FIGURE 29. Leptalpheus lirai Vera Caripe et al., 2021, ovigerous female (cl 11.3 mm), ULLZ 18233 [USNM 1706499] (a–f, h, i), and male (cl 7.8), ULLZ 18234 [USNM 1706500] (g), both from Ft. Pierce, Florida, USA: a, major chela, dactylus and pollex, mesial; b, second pereopod, lateral; c, third pereopod, lateral; d, fourth pereopod, lateral; e, fifth pereopod, lateral; f, first pleopod, mesial; g, second pleopod with appendix interna and appendix masculina, mesial; h, telson and uropods, lateral; i, same, dorsal.