Pontonia mexicana Guérin-Méneville, 1855

Vieira, Rony R. R., Ferreira, Rodrigo S. & D’Incao, Fernando, 2012, Pontoniinae (Crustacea: Decapoda: Caridea) from Brazil with taxonomic key, Zootaxa 3149, pp. 1-38 : 26-27

Pontonia mexicana Guérin-Méneville, 1855

Pontonia mexicana – Guérin-Méneville, 1855:19; Holthuis, 1951:130; Chace, 1972:39; Fransen, 2002:131; Tagliafico et al., 2005:91.

Pontonia grayi — Borradaile, 1917:391.

Diagnosis. Rostrum well developed, slightly directed downwards, almost reaches end of basal segment of antennular peduncle or reaches the end of second segment of antennular peduncle, dorsal margin with small distal tooth and ventral margin with distal tooth. Basal segment of antennular peduncle with stylocerite reaches the half this segment and small anterolateral spine not reaches the half of second segment. Scaphocerite with distal tooth not reaches the apex of lamella. Carapace with antennal spine. Mandible without palp. First pereopods slender, fingers slightly longer than palm, cutting edges entire. Second pereopods similar in shape, unequal in size. Major pereopod, cheliped with finger smaller than palm, cutting edge of dactylus with triangular tooth on proximal part and cutting edge of fixed finger with blunt denticulate tooth. Minor pereopod with cheliped equal major cheliped and with fingers smaller than palm. Third to fifth pereopods with bifid dactyli. Abdomen with pleura of first five somites rounded, sixth somite acute. Telson with 2 pairs of dorsal spines and 3 pairs of spines on posterior margin.

Distribution. Western Atlantic: USA (Florida), Mexico (Cozumel), Bahamas (New Providence), Cuba, Jamaica, Tobago, Tortugas, Porto Rico, Virgin Islands, Anguilla, Martinique, Santa Lucia, Curacao, Bonaire, Tobago, Colombia (Santa Marta), Venezuela ( Isla dos Mosquises, Los Frailes), Brazil (Ilha de Trindade) ( Figure 18 ) ( Holthuis, 1951, Chace, 1972; Criales, 1984; Fransen, 2002).

Material examined. None.

Ecological notes. The species occurs at depths between 1 and 21 m, insides bivalves Pinna carnea , Atrina sminuda and Pinna rigida ; between the branches of the Ophiuroid Astrophyton muricatum ( Criales, 1984; Fransen, 2002; Tagliafico et al., 2005).

Figures

FIGURE 18. Distribution of Pontonia mexicana Guérin, 1856.