Albunea catherinae Boyko, 2002

Boyko, Christopher B., 2010, New records and taxonomic data for 14 species of sand crabs (Crustacea: Anomura: Albuneidae) from localities worldwide, Zootaxa 2555, pp. 49-61 : 57-58

Albunea catherinae Boyko, 2002

( Figs. 1 F, G, 2H–J)

Albunea paretii . — Saloman et al., 1982: 45. — Abele & Kim, 1986: x (list, part), 38 (part), 427 (key, part), 428–429 figs. d–g. — McLaughlin & Lemaitre, 1997: 92, fig. 10g. — Camp, 1998: 144 (list, part). — de Melo, 1999: 278– 279, figs. 189, 190. — McLaughlin et al., 2005: 240 (list, part). — Coelho et al., 2007: 11 (distribution, northwestern Atlantic and Panama (in part) only). — Felder et al., 2009: 1068 (list) (not Albunea paretii Guérin Méneville, 1853 ).

Albunea gibbesii . — de Melo, 1999: 276 –277, figs. 187, 188 (not Albunea gibbesii Stimpson, 1859 ). Albunea catherinae Boyko, 2002: 327 –336, figs. 104, 105 (full synonymy). — Nizinski, 2003: 157.

Material examined. Panama (Atlantic): Shimmey Beach, Ft. Sherman, 23 Jan 1971, coll. L. G. Abele: 2 males, 12.0– 13.5 mm cl ( USNM 1011075); Isla Grande, 0.5 m (yabby pump), coll. A, Anker and T. Lang, 11 Jun 2006: 1 female, 12.1 mm cl ( USNM 1138908); Isla Grande, south side, 0.5 m (suction pump), fine sand, coll. A, Anker, 6–7 Oct 2005: 1 male, 9.1 mm cl, 1 female, 8.8 mm cl ( USNM 1138909); Bocas del Toro, Carenero, sea grass, 0.5–1 m, coll. A. Anker, 2 May 2007: 1 female, 6.1 mm cl ( USNM 1138910).

Distribution. From Virginia to Palm Beach Co., Florida, then from Collier Co., Florida, through the Gulf of Mexico to southern Texas; Panama (Atlantic), in up to 64 m depth ( Boyko 2002, herein).

Colouration. Carapace, eyes, antennae, and abdomen all generally uniform light tan with strong iridescence and lighter areas along carapace grooves and where setae inserted; antennae with alternating light and dark thin bands on flagellae; pereopods with iridescent sheen on light tan ground colour; setae dark orange in colour ( Fig. 1 F, G).

Remarks. Identification of the first two Panamanian specimens examined (USNM 1011075) was quite perplexing, as they appeared to be A. catherinae Boyko, 2002 , despite that species’ apparent absence from outside the continental southeast United States. The carapace grooves and ocular peduncle/carapace length ratios identify these specimens as A. catherinae . Additionally, the shapes of the indents on the dactyli of pereopods II and III are also as seen in A. catherinae . The acute heel of the dactylus of pereopod IV, while not like that of typical A. paretii (smoothly curved), is not quite like the bluntly projecting dactylus of A. catherinae ( Figs. 2 H-J). No other specimens examined in large series of both A. paretii and A. catherinae (see Boyko 2002: 327–330, 343–346 for other material examined) showed this acute shape of the heel on pereopod IV. Both of these specimens are mature males and are virtually identical to each other in all aspects. Two additional males collected in the same location on the same date were identical with typical A. paretii (see Boyko, 2002: 329), while another Panamanian ovigerous female collected nearby was likewise clearly A. paretii .

Four subsequent specimens provided by Arthur Anker also key out to A. catherinae , with the same acute heel on pereopod IV dactylus, while another specimen collected nearby (see above) is clearly A. paretii . The evidence supports recognition of a highly disjunct population of A. catherinae in Atlantic Panama. The single character difference (acute heel of dactylus of pereopod IV) is not enough to consider these specimens as belonging to a new species. Genetic analysis may give further insight into the relationships between the A. catherinae of Atlantic Panama and those from the main part of the species’ range. It is possible that this disjunct population is the result of transport of larvae via ships’ ballast water from North American ports that was then discharged in the vicinity of the Canal Zone. The Panama Canal Zone Authority prohibits discharge of ballast in the canal since 1999 (Lloyd’s Register 2007), but discharge of such ballast outside the Canal Zone is apparently not restricted. Transport of non-native species from North America to Central America is not impossible, and would be less obvious when the species in question were relatively small, cryptic in habitat, and closely related to native species.

Figures

FIGURE 2. Albunea bulla Boyko, 2002 (BPBM S 12265), male, 17.5 mm cl: A, dactylus of right pereopod II; B, dactylus of left pereopod III; C, dactylus of left pereopod IV; D, telson. Albunea paretii Guérin-Méneville, 1853 (FLMNH UF 20177), female, 8.3 mm CL: E, dactylus of right pereopod II; F, dactylus of left pereopod III; G, dactylus of left pereopod IV (tip broken). Albunea catherinae Boyko, 2002 (USNM 1138908), female, 12.1 mm CL: H, dactylus of right pereopod II; I, dactylus of left pereopod III; J, dactylus of right pereopod IV. Scale bars = 1 mm.

FIGURE 1. A, B, Albunea elioti Benedict, 1904 (FLMNH UF 23345), male, 14.6 mm CL; C, Albunea bulla Boyko, 2002 (BPBM S 12265), male, 17.5 mm CL; D, E, Albunea paretii Guérin-Méneville, 1853 (FLMNH UF 20177), female, 8.3 mm CL; F, G, Albunea catherinae Boyko, 2002 (USNM 1138908), female, 12.1 mm CL. All photographs by Arthur Anker, except A by Kurt Kawamoto, all specimens photographed shortly after collection.