Ceradocus shoemakeri Fox, 1973

White, Kristine N. & Sir, Sally J., 2024, Caribbean Amphipoda (Crustacea) of Panama. Part II: parvorder Hadziidira, ZooKeys 1195, pp. 249-296 : 249

Ceradocus shoemakeri Fox, 1973

Figs 3 , 27C

Ceradocus shoemakeri Fox, 1973: 147-152, figs 1-4; LeCroy 2000: 73, fig. 121.

Material examined.

Panama • 2.2-7 mm • 1 ♀; Bocas del Toro, Hospital Point ; 9.3336°N, 82.218833°W; depth 15- m, coral rubble and Halimeda ; 6 Aug 2005; S. DeGrave leg.; GCRL 6629 • 1 ♀; Bocas del Toro , San Cristobal; 9.284977°N, 82.294533°W; depth 1-3 m, Halimeda ; 21 June 2023; K.N. White leg.; USNM 1703497 • 1 ♂, 2 ♀; Cayo Zapatilla 1; 9.269967°N, 82.0587°W; depth 10-11 m, coral rubble; 28 June 2023; K.N. White leg.; USNM 1703498 .

Diagnosis.

Antenna 1 accessory flagellum 4- or 5-articulate. Gnathopod 2 sexually dimorphic, right and left sides dissimilar; enlarged side palm oblique with two subquadrate and one triangular projection. Pereopod 7 basis with small posterodistal lobe. Pleosome and urosome dorsally smooth. Epimera 1-3 posterior margins serrate. Telson approximately as long as wide with subapical setae.

Distribution.

U.S.A.: South Florida from Biscayne Bay to the Dry Tortugas; Apalachee Bay, Perdido Key, Florida ( LeCroy 2000); Bahama Islands: Bimini ( Fox 1973); Panama: Bocas del Toro (present study).

Ecology and remarks.

These amphipods are associated with coral rubble, algae, and sponges at depths of 0.5-15 m. Panamanian specimens have a dorsally smooth pleosome and urosome; Fox (1973) mentioned that occasionally there is a mid-dorsal posterior tooth on pleonites 4 and/or 5.

Figures

Figure 3. Ceradocus shoemakeri, male, 2.2 mm, gnathopod 2 weak side lateral, weak gnathopod 2 propodus palm enlarged with setae removed, gnathopod 2 strong side lateral, strong gnathopod 2 propodus palm enlarged with setae removed, epimeron and urosome. Scale bars: 0.5 mm.

Figure 27. Photographs of live specimens A Dulzura schoenerae B Ceraocus sheardi C Ceradocus shoemakeri D Elasmopus balkomanus E Elasmopus elieri (ethanol preserved specimen) F Elasmopus levis G Elasmopus longipropodus. Scale bars: 1.0 mm.