Zuzalpheus brevifrons ( Chace, 1972 ) Ríos, Rubén & Duffy, J. Emmett, 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 : 12-13

Zuzalpheus brevifrons ( Chace, 1972) n. comb.

( Fig. 2 , Plate 1 )

Synalpheus brevifrons Chace, 1972: 89 , Figs. 31–32 ; Dardeau 1984: 26; Ríos 2003: 49, Fig. 2–1 , Plate III.

Material examined. (1) HΟIΟtyp℮ ♀ (USNM ₁₃5₃7₁⁾̓ 2• 8 mm (rΟStrum ℮ˣϲ1ud℮d⁾̓ DΟmi∏iϲa̓ Sha11ΟW Wat℮r•

(2) 1 ♂, 3.2 mm ( VIMS 95 CBC3501), outer ridge of Carrie Bow Cay , Belize, 2 July 1995, in soft gray demosponge lining internal canals of Pseudoceratina crassa , 15 m .

(3) 1 ovigerous ♀, 2.9 mm ( VIMS 02 CBC3602), 1 ♂ , 2.6 mm ( VIMS 02 CBC3603), The Pinnacles (i.e., Sand Bores, 16º44’54.0”N, 88º04’21.8”W), Belize, 28 June 2002, in soft purple-gray sponge, 1 m.

(4) 1 ovigerous ♀, 3.0 mm ( VIMS 03 CBC2608), 1 ♂ , 2.9 mm ( VIMS 03 CBC2609), The Pinnacles (Sand Bores), Belize, 21 April 2003, no host recorded, 1 m.

(5) 2 ovigerous ♀ (04CBC4501, 04CBC4502), 2.9 mm, 2.7 mm, 1 ♂ ( VIMS 04 CBC4504), 2.3 mm, spur and groove of Long Reef (S of Carrie Bow Cay), Belize, 16 March 2004, in soft grey sponge, 610 m.

Diagnosis. Body form subcylindrical; carapace smooth, with pterygostomian corner produced into bluntly acute angle, and posterior margin with cardiac notch distinct. Rostrum triangular, not upturned, with shallow ventral keel at base; about as long as ocular hoods, but narrower. Orbitorostral process absent. Ocular hoods dorsally convex, very obtuse, margins convex, separated from rostrum by very shallow adrostral sinus. Ocular process broadly obtuse. Ocellary beak in lateral view not rod-like. Stylocerite slender; mesial margin straight; tip acute, clearly not reaching distal margin of first segment of antennular peduncle; latter segment without mesio-ventral tooth, with 2 basal ventral processes. Basicerite with dorso-lateral corner obtuse, and with longer lateral spine clearly overreaching distal margin of first segment of antennular peduncle. Scaphocerite blade absent, lateral spine acute, with lateral margin slightly concave, clearly overreaching antennular peduncle; mesial projection at base of scaphocerite present. Carpocerite overreaching tip of scaphocerite. Maxilliped 3 with distal circlet of spines on distal segment and without ventrodistal spine on antepenultimate segment.

Major pereopod 1 massive, fingers shorter than half length of palm; fixed finger about as long as dactyl; in ventral view, outer face of fixed finger without protuberance. Palm of chela with distal superior margin produced into prominent blunt tubercle. Merus extensor margin strongly convex, ending distally in obtuse angle.

Minor pereopod 1 with palm clearly less than 2 times longer than high; fingers clearly shorter than palm; dactyl with flexor margin straight, blade-like, with 2 strong subequal distal teeth, parallel to dactyl axis; transverse dorsal setal combs on extensor surface of dactyl conspicuous but not dense; fixed finger with flexor margin straight, blade-like, ending distally in 2 strong subequal teeth, parallel to dactyl axis. Extensor margin of merus convex, ending in obtuse angle.

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

Pereopod 3 slender; dactyl biunguiculate, with subequal ungues (teeth); merus without movable spines on flexor margin; mesial lamella on coxa present. Pereopods 4 and 5 normal.

Abdomen of male distinctly flattened dosroventrally. Pleura 1 of male with posteroventral corner distinctly produced into a hook; pleura 2 with posteroventral corner sharply acuminate; pleura 3 and 4 each with two posteriorly oriented hooks; 5 and 6 with single hook also posteriorly oriented. Pleopod 1 of male with 2 or 3 terminal setae on endopod; pleopod 2 of male with marginal setae on exopod originating near midpoint; appendix interna on second to fifth male pleopods, present. Telson, space between posterior marginal spines greater than one-third width of posterior margin; marginal convex lobe present; posterior corners adjacent to spines obtuse; mesial pair of spines distally upturned. Anal flaps, perianal setae, and postanal setal brush, all absent. Uropods with a single fixed tooth on outer margin of exopod anterior to, and distinctly removed from, much longer movable spine, latter adjacent to internal fixed tooth.

Color ( Plate 1 ). Translucent to milky white with traces of bright gold on distal edges of chelae; digestive gland faint yellow; ovaries and embryos bright green.

Hosts and ecology. We have collected Zuzalpheus brevifrons only from inside the canals of a soft, smooth gray to brown demosponge that grows as a film lining rock cavities or the internal canals of the sponge Pseudoceratina crassa .

Distribution. Western Atlantic: Dominica ( Chace 1972); Belize Barrier Reef (this study), possibly also San Blas Islands, Panama.

Remarks. This distinctive species was previously known only from the female holotype; in the original figures by Chace (1972), the antennule appears thicker than in our specimens from Belize. The male of the species, figured here for the first time ( Fig. 2 ), bears a striking character, unique among West Atlantic species of Zuzalpheus ; namely the hooks on the ventral margin of the male abdominal pleura. One male examined had 2 hooks on one of the second pleurae. An ovigerous female from San Blas Islands, Panama, is very similar to Z. brevifrons , but has a small blade on the scaphocerite and the spines on the dorsal surface of the telson are distinctly removed from the edge. Because this specimen came from a pink unidentified sponge, it seems likely that this may represent yet another undescribed species.

Figures

PLATE 1. Zuzalpheus agelas, male. (VIMS 04CBC4301) from Agelas clathrodes, Long Reef, Belize. Zuzalpheus androsi, female (VIMS 03CBC0901) from Hyattella intestinalis, Carrie Bow Cay, Belize. Zuzalpheus bousfieldi, female (VIMS 03CBC1201) from Hyattella intestinalis, Carrie Bow Cay, Belize. Zuzalpheus bousfieldi, male (VIMS 03CBC1202) from Hyattella intestinalis, Carrie Bow Cay, Belize. Zuzalpheus brevifrons, female (VIMS 03CBC3601) from unidentified sponge, Sand Bores, Belize. Zuzalpheus brooksi, female (VIMS 05FK14) from Spheciospongia vesparium, Key Largo, Florida, USA.

FIGURE 2. Zuzalpheus brevifrons (Chace 1972). Male 3.2 mm (VIMS 95CBC3501): lateral view of abdomen. Scale bar = 1mm.

FIGURE 31. Zuzalpheus yano, n. sp. Paratype male 5.3 mm (USNM 1019057): a, anterior region of carapace and cephalic appendages, dorsal view; b, same, lateral view; c, abdomen, lateral view; d, minor first pereopod, lateral view; e, chela of same, alternate lateral view. Paratype ovigerous female 5.5 mm (USNM 1019058): f, abdomen showing two eggs, lateral view. Scale bar = 1.4 mm for a, b, and 1 mm for c, d, e, f.

FIGURE 32. Zuzalpheus yano, n. sp. Paratype male 5.3 mm (USNM 1019057): a, chela of major first pereopod, lateral view; b, same, detail of distal portion, alternate lateral view; c, same, tip of fixed finger, ventral view; d, left second pereopod, lateral view; e, telson and uropods, dorsal view. Scale bar = 1 mm for a, b, 0.7 mm for c, e, and 0.6 for d.