Dulichiella lecroyae, Published, 2007

Published, First, 2007, A revision of the tropical / temperate amphipod genus Dulichiella Stout, 1912, and the description of a new Atlantic genus Verdeia gen. nov. (Crustacea: Amphipoda: Melitidae), Zootaxa 1424, pp. 1-62 : 34-38

Dulichiella lecroyae sp. nov.

( Figs 25–28)

Melita fresnelii . – Kunkel, 1910: 31, fig. 11. Melita fresnelii . – Pearse, 1912: 371 (LeCroy, pers. comm., “all of the material that I actually looked at that Pearse had

identified as M. fresnelii was D. sp. A. [ D. lecroyae ]. However, there were some lots (Fish Hawk Sta. 7431; Florida

Bay stations collected on Jan 29, 1903) that I didn't run across.”). Dulichiella sp. A LeCroy, 2000: 78 , fig. 126.

Type material. Holotype male, 8.1 mm, USNM 1092321 , Anclote Key , Tarpon Springs, Florida, USA (28°12'N 082°52'W), associate of sponge, Spheciospongia vesparium , 10 m, R. B. Erdman, June 1981 . Paratypes: 1 female, 8.2 mm, USNM 1092322 ; 48 specimens, USNM 1092323 ; 46 paratypes, AM P61181 , same locality .

Type locality. Anclote Key , Tarpon Springs, Florida, USA (28°12'N 082°52'W) .

Additional material. Gulf of Mexico: 110– 150 specimens, USFCS Albatross, stn 2405. Two lots, USFCS Albatross , stn 2406. USFCS Albatross , stn 2409. Specimens , USNM Acc. #42653, about 48 m depth, USFCS Albatross, stn 2413, 19 March 1885 . Specimens , USNM Acc. #42663, about 50 m depth, USFCS Albatross, stn 2369–2374, 7 February 1885 .

Florida: Specimens from sponge on bridge pier, fort moat, Garden Key, Dry Tortugas, USNM Acc. # 115488, Tortugas Stn 25–31. Specimens from coral in Ft. Jefferson moat, Garden Key, Dry Tortugas, T. W. Vaughan. Specimens from south of Channel Buoy , Dry Tortugas, USNM Acc. # 84129, boat dredge, about 50 m depth, 16 August 1924 , Stn 3. Specimens from White Shoals, Dry Tortugas, Waldo L. Schmidt, 19 July 1924 , Tortugas Stn 12. 1 specimen, Dry Tortugas, 20 June 1931 , Stn 5–31. Specimens, Dry Tortugas, 26 June 1931 , Stn 12–31. 1 specimen, White Shoals , Dry Tortugas, 19 July 1924 , Waldo L. Schmidt, stn 25. 1 ovigerous female, east side of Loggerhead Key, Dry Tortugas, channel haul, about 20–22 m, W.L. Schmidt, 8 August 1930 . Near Key West, USNM Acc. # 125158, Ray Greenfield , 29 June 1933 . Specimens, No. Knight’s Key Channel, Florida Keys, USNM Acc. #42664, about 20 m, USFCS Fish Hawk , 29 January 1903 , stn 7416. Specimens, Sannibel Island , USNM USFCS Fish Hawk, 1 January 1913 . Specimens, about 16 km offshore from Crystal River Power Plant, Crystal Bay, Crystal River, USNM 275390 , 23 February 1984 , 0.5–3 m depth, Stn 11. 2 specimens (small subadult male, subadult female), Cedar Keys , USNM Acc. # 18919; February 1887 . 2 specimens (male and ovigerous female), Carrabelle, Apalachicola Bay , Franklin County, USNM Acc. # 185942, 18 February 1950 .

Description. Based on holotype male, 8.1 mm, USNM 1092321, and paratype female, 8.2 mm, USNM 1092322. Body large. Head eyes ovate; lateral cephalic lobe broad, rounded, anteroventral corner with slender setae. Antenna 1 peduncular article 1 shorter than article 2, with 4 robust setae along posterior margin. Antenna 2 peduncular article 2 cone gland not reaching to end of peduncular article 3; article 4 slightly longer than article 5. Mandibular palp article 1 about as long as broad, inner margin article 1 produced distally; article 2 slightly longer than article 3.

Gnathopod 1 coxa anteroventral corner not produced, anterior margin straight, posteroventral corner notch present; carpus longer than propodus; propodus small, linear, palm convex, defined by posterodistal corner, with posterodistal robust setae. Gnathopod 2 coxa posteroventral corner notch present; (larger) propodus distolateral crown with 4 rounded or subacute spines, fourth spine well developed, posterodistal corner produced, upturned, dactylus fitting into corner; dactylus apically hooked; (smaller) merus with sharp posteroventral spine; palm straight, without robust setae, posterodistal corner with robust setae; dactylus with more than 2 setae on anterior margin. Pereopod 5 dactylar unguis anterior margin with accessory spine. Pereopods 6–7 carpus and propodus with bunches of long slender setae. Pereopod 6 basis posterior margin straight; dactylar unguis anterior margin with accessory spine. Pereopod 7 basis posterior margin straight.

Pleonite/urosomite dorsal spine formula (7-7-7-5-4-2). Pleonites 1–3 with sparse dorsal setae. Epimeron 1 posteroventral corner subquadrate. Epimeron 2 posteroventral corner acute. Epimeron 3 posteroventral margin smooth. Urosomite 1 with spine at midline, no conspicuous medial gape. Urosomite 2 with two groups of 1–3 small dorsolateral robust setae. Urosomite 3 without dorsal setae; with 2 dorsal spines. Uropod 3 outer ramus very long, about 2 x peduncle. Telson with dorsal robust setae.

Female (sexually dimorphic characters). Gnathopod 2 subequal in size, similar to smaller gnathopod 2 of male; palm strongly concave; dactylus crenulate. Pereopod 7 basis expanded, posterior margin convex and tapering distally.

Etymology. Named for Sara LeCroy who first recognised this species and made it available to us for study.

Habitat. Marine epibenthic, associated with the sponge Spheciospongia vesparium at Tarpon Springs and generally in live bottom habitats elsewhere (LeCroy, in litt.).

Remarks. Dulichiella lecroyae has four spines on the distolateral crown of male gnathopod 2 and a 7-7-7- 5-4 pleonite/urosomite formula. Five other species share these characters: D. appendiculata ; D. cuvettensis ; D. fresnelii ; D. guinea and D. pacifica .

The geographic distribution of Dulichiella lecroyae overlaps with D. appendiculata in Florida. The two species can be distinguished from each other by the shape of the lateral cephalic lobe, rounded in D. lecroyae and truncated in D. appendiculata ; in the shape of the female gnathopod 2 palm, concave in D. lecroyae and convex in D. appendiculata ; the posterior margin of the dactylus, serrate in D. lecroyae and smooth in D. appendiculata ; in the dactyli of the pereopods which have two accessory spines in D. appendiculata (one in D. lecroyae ); the presence of bunches of long slender setae on the basis and merus of pereopods 6 and 7 in D. appendiculata (absent in D. lecroyae ); and in the posteroventral corners of epimera 1 and 2 which have small acutely produced corners in D. appendiculata (subquadrate in D. lecroyae ).

Dulichiella lecroyae is very similar to the Red Sea species D. fresnelii . The main character which separates these two species is the lateral cephalic lobe which is apically rounded in D. lecroyae and apically truncated in D. fresnelii . Dulichiella lecroyae also differs in the convex posterior margin on the basis of female pereopod 7 (straight and tapering distally in D. fresnelii ). Dulichiella lecroyae differs from the Indian Ocean species D. cuvettensis in having one accessory spine on the dactyli of pereopods 5 to 7 (two accessory spines in D. cuvettensis ) and in having bunches of long, slender setae on the carpus and propodus of male pereopods 6 and 7 (absent in D. cuvettensis ). Dulichiella lecroyae differs from the South Pacific species, D. pacifica , in the female gnathopod 2 which has a shorter carpus and propodus and a crenulate posterior margin on the dactylus (smooth in D. pacifica ). In addition the posterior margin of the basis of pereopod 6 is straight in D. lecroyae and concave in D. pacifica .

The distribution records from this species are based mainly on LeCroy (2000) and LeCroy (in litt.).

Distribution. Bermuda ( Kunkel, 1910). USA. South Carolina: Sewee Bay (SERTC). Georgia: from Florida Bay to Perdido Key ( LeCroy, 2000). Florida: Dry Tortugas; Key West; No. Knight’s Key Channel; Sannibel Island; Crystal Bay; Cedar Keys; Apalachicola Bay; (all USNM). Gulf of Mexico (USNM).