Alvinocaris muricola Williams, 1988

Komai, T., Shank, T. M. & Van Dover, C. L., 2005, A new species of Alvinocaris (Crustacea: Decapoda: Caridea: Alvinocarididae) and a new record of A. muricola from methane seeps on the Blake Ridge Diapir, Northwestern Atlantic, Zootaxa 1019 (1), pp. 27-42 : 39-40

Alvinocaris muricola Williams, 1988 ( Fig. 7 )

Restricted synonymy.

Alvinocaris muricola Williams, 1988: 268 , figs 3, 4, 7; Komai & Segonzac, 2005: 1132 , figs 2, 3, 8–14, 29.

Material examined. LACM CR 2001 ­ 034.2 , 1 female (CL 12.6 mm), ODP site 996, Blake Ridge Diapir, 32°28.135'N, 76°11.486'W, 2167 m, DSV Alvin dive 3910, slurp gun, 27 July 2003 .

Distribution. Florida Escarpment in the Gulf of Mexico, 3277 m ( Williams, 1988); Barbados Accretionary prism, 1697 m ( Komai & Segonzac, 2005); West African equatorial margin, Congo Basin, 3113–3150 m ( Komai & Segonzac, 2005); Blake Ridge Diapir, 2155 m (this study).

Remarks. The single female specimen collected from one small outcrop of methane hydrate differs from the specimens here referred to A. methanophila n. sp. in the proportionally longer rostrum (0.67 times of the carapace length), slender second segment of the antennular peduncle (1.96 times longer than wide) and narrower antennal scale (about 2.1 times longer than wide). Based on these features, combined with the notably convex branchiostegal region of the carapace, this female specimen is assigned to A. muricola with little hesitation.

Figures

FIGURE 7. Alvinocaris muricola Williams, 1988. Female (CL 12.6 mm; LACM CR 2001­034.2) from the Blake Ridge Diapir. A, carapace and cephalic appendages, lateral view (antennular and antennal flagella omitted); B, anterior part of carapace and cephalic appendages, dorsal view (antennular flagella omitted); C, left antennal scale, dorsal view (marginal setae omitted).