Pseudopontonides principis ( Criales, 1980 )

Fransen, Charles H. J. M., 2023, The marine palaemonid shrimps (Crustacea, Deapoda, Caridea) of the Dutch Caribbean, Zootaxa 5387 (1), pp. 1-127 : 108-110

Pseudopontonides principis ( Criales, 1980)

( Fig. 71 , video 18)

Neopontonides principis Criales, 1980: 75 (Bonaire, Curaçao).

Pseudopontonides principis — Heard 1986: 481 (Bonaire, Curaçao); Snijders & Fransen 2010: 7 (Curaçao).

Material examined. Curaçao: RMNH.CRUS.D.32017 : ovigerous female holotype pocl. 3.3 mm; Oostpunt , 3.vii.1977, depth 18 m, on Stichopathes gracilis , collected by M.M. Criales. RMNH.CRUS.D.32688 : 1 ovigerous female paratype, pocl. 3.0 mm ; 1 male paratype pocl. 1.8 mm; Oostpunt , 3.vii.1977, depth 18 m, on S. gracilis , collected by M.M. Criales. RMNH.CRUS.D.51637 : 1 specimen; stn CUR.04, Piscaderabaai , west side, 12°07′21.4″N 68°58′10.5″W, 11.v.2005, depth 21.5 m, on S. luetkeni , collected by N. Snijders (fcn. g065) . RMNH.CRUS. D.51636 : 1 specimen; stn CUR.05, Marie Pampoen /Carpile, 12°5′42.1″N 68°54′43.0″W, 09.v.2005, depth 24.6 m, on S. luetkeni , collected by N. Snijders (fcn. g055) . RMNH.CRUS.D.51638 : 1 specimen; Fuikbaai , 12°03′1.6″N 68°50′5.2″W, 19.v.2005, depth 28.7 m, on Antipathes sp. , collected by N. Snijders (fcn. g074) . RMNH.CRUS. D.58314 : 1 specimen; stn COA.01, Hilton Reef , 12°07′18.44″N 68°58′10.23″W, 31.x.2013, depth 31 m, scuba diving, on S. luetkeni Brook, 1889 , collected by B.T. Reijnen (photo COA.01 036–045) . RMNH.CRUS.D.58315 : 2 specimens; stn COA.03, W Piscadera Baai , 12°07′21.90″N 68°58′13.54″W, 02.xi.2013, depth 35 m, scuba diving, on S. luetkeni Brook, 1889 , collected by S.E.T. van der Meij (photo COA.03 058–068) . RMNH.CRUS.D.58316 1 specimen; stn COA.03, W Piscadera Baai , 12°07′21.90″N 68°58′13.54″W, 02.xi.2013, depth 35 m, scuba diving, on S. luetkeni Brook, 1889 , collected by B.T. Reijnen (photo COA.03 069–080) . RMNH.CRUS.D.58317 : 7 specimens; stn COA.14, Playa Boka Sami , 12°08′51.40″N 68°59′55.50″W, 05.xi.2013, depth 37 m, scuba diving, on S. luetkeni Brook, 1889 , collected by S.E.T. van der Meij (photo COA.14 096–103) . RMNH.CRUS.D.58318 : 1 specimen; stn COA.21, Marie Pampoen , 12°05′26.74″N 68°54′17.84″W, 05.xi.2013, depth 35 m, scuba diving, on S. luetkeni Brook, 1889 , collected by B.T. Reijnen (photo COA.21 019–032, 039, 040) . RMNH.CRUS.D.58319 : 1 non ovigerous female, pocl. 1.9 mm; stn CF09A-1, Hilton Reef , 9.vi.2017, depth 22 m, scuba diving, on S. luetkeni Brook, 1889 , collected by C.H.J.M. Fransen (video 18) . RMNH.CRUS.D.58320 : 1 non ovigerous female, pocl. 2.5 mm; stn CF12A-1, Marie Pampoen , depth 25 m, scuba diving, on S. luetkeni Brook, 1889 , collected by C.H.J.M. Fransen (video 18) . OUMNH.ZC.2019-06-33 : 9 ovigerous females, pocl. 1.8–.2.5 mm; Sun Reef , 12°8′21.12″N 68°59′53.1594″W, depth 7 m, 15.ii.2015, from A. caribbeana , leg. P. Wirtz & K. Wittmann (fcn. 3) . OUMNH.ZC.2019-06-34 : 4 females, pocl. 1.6–2.8 mm; Sun Reef , 12°8′21.12″N 68°59′53.1594″W, depth 28 m, 16.ii.2015, from Stichopathes sp. , leg. P. Wirtz & K. Wittmann (fcn. 6) . OUMNH.ZC.2019-06-35 : 16 specimens including ovigerous females, pocl. 1.1–1.4 mm; Sun Reef , 12°8′21.12″N 68°59′53.1594″W, depth 12 m, 17.ii.2015, from Pseudoplexaura sp. , leg. P. Wirtz & K. Wittmann (fcn. 8) . OUMNH.ZC.2019-06-36 : 3 females, pocl. 1.1–2.1 mm; Snake Bay , about 300 m east of Sun Reef, depth 30 m, 17.ii.2015, from A. caribbeana , leg. P. Wirtz & K. Wittmann (fcn. 10) . OUMNH.ZC.2019-06-37 : 7 ovigerous females, pocl. 1.2–1.6 m; Vaersenbaai (= Kokomo Beach), 12°9′37.8″N 69°0′20.52″W, depth 39 m, 23.ii.2015, from S. gracilis , leg. P. Wirtz & K. Wittmann (fcn. 25) . Bonaire: RMNH.CRUS.D.57932 : 1 specimen; stn BON.04, Alice in Wonderland , 12°05.993′N 068°17.118′W, 24.x.2019, depth 30 m, scuba diving, on S. luetkeni Brook, 1889 , collected by C.H.J.M. Fransen (video 18) . RMNH. CRUS.D.57938 : 1 specimen; stn BON.19, Hilma Hooker , 12°06.271′N 068°17.291′W, 30.x.2019, depth 30 m, scuba diving, on S. luetkeni Brook, 1889 , collected by C.H.J.M. Fransen (video 18) . Stn BON.44, Klein Bonaire , South Bay, 12°09.001′N 068°19.234′W, 08.xi.2019, depth 20 m, scuba diving, on S. luetkeni Brook, 1889 , C.H.J.M. Fransen (video 18), not collected . RMNH.CRUS.D.58321 : 2 specimens; Bachelor’s Beach (Fondu Di Kalki), 12°07.522′N 068°17.233′W, 01.xi.2019, depth 21–26 m, on brown whip coral, collected by Peter Wirtz (fcn. 1) . RMNH.CRUS.D.58322 : 1 ovigerous female, 1 female, 1 male; Bachelor′s Beach (Fondu Di Kalki), 12°07.522′N 068°17.233′W, 02.xi.2019, depth 21–27 m, on brown whip coral, collected by Peter Wirtz (fcn. 2) . RMNH.CRUS. D. 58323 : 1 ovigerous female, pocl. 1.9 mm; 1 female, pocl. 1.5 mm; 2 males, pocl. 1.4 and 1.5 mm; Something Special (Pali Grande), 12°09.696′N 068°17.016′W, 6.xi.2019, depth unknown, scuba diving, collected by Peter Wirtz (fcn. 10) (photo).

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Ecology. Usually associated with Antipatharia , commonly on Stichopathes gracilis ( Criales 1980; Snijders & Fransen 2010) and S. luetkeni (cf. Snijders & Fransen 2010); Tanacetipathes thamnea (Warner, 1981) , T. tanacetum (Pourtalès, 1880) , and Phanopathes expansa (Opresko & Cairns, 1992) (see Wicksten et al. 2014); Cirrhipathes? secchini Echeverria, 2002 ( Wirtz et al. 2009). Also recorded from Virgularia sp. ( Heard, 1986). Photographs ( Fig. 71 ) show specimens with different colour patterns on differently coloured hosts. The species is herein recorded for the first time from Antipathes caribbeana Opresko, 1996 , and Pseudoplexaura sp.

Distribution. Recorded from scattered locations in the tropical western Atlantic: Gulf of Mexico ( Heard 1986; Wicksten et al. 2014); Puerto Rico ( Heard 1986); Bahamas ( Debelius 1999); Espírito Santo, Brazil ( Wirtz et al. 2009); in depths of 5– 42 m. Previous records from Curaçao by Criales (1980), Heard (1986) and Snijders & Fransen (2010) and from Bonaire by Heard (1986) and Snijders & Fransen (2010).

Figures

FIGURE 71. Pseudopontonides principis (Criales, 1980). A, adult ovigerous female, stn CAO.03, Curaçao, W Piscadera Baai, 12°07′21.90″N 68°58′13.54″W, 2.xi.2013, depth 35 m, on Stichopathes luetkeni Brook, 1889; B, adult ovigerous female, stn CAO.21, Curaçao, Marie Pampoen, 12°05′26.74″N 68°54′17.84″W, 5.xi.2013, depth 35 m, on S. luetkeni; C, adult specimen, stn CAO.01, Hilton Reef, 12°07′18.44″N 68°58′10.23″W, 31.x.2013, depth 31 m, on S. luetkeni; D, adult specimen, stn BON.04, Bonaire, Alice in Wonderland, 12°05.993′N 068°17.118′W, 24.x.2019, depth 30 m, on S. luetkeni; E, juvenile specimen, stn CAO.03, Curaçao, W Piscadera Baai, 12°07′21.90″N 68°58′13.54″W, 2.xi.2013, depth 35 m, on S. luetkeni; F, juvenile specimen, stn CAO.14, Curaçao, Playa Boka Sami, 12°08′51.40″N 68°59′55.50″W, 5.xi.2013, depth 37 m, on S. luetkeni. (Photographs by C.H.J.M. Fransen.)