Salmoneus, Holthuis, 1955

Anker, Arthur, 2019, The eastern Pacific species of Salmoneus Holthuis, 1955, with description of a remarkable new species from Las Perlas Archipelago, Panama (Malacostraca: Decapoda: Alpheidae), Zootaxa 4651 (1), pp. 125-140 : 138

Key to the presently known eastern Pacific species of Salmoneus

1A. Dorsal surface of carapace with deep dorsal “dent” (= longitudinal depression)................. S. excavatus Anker, 2011

1B. Dorsal surface of carapace without dorsal “dent”............................................................ 2

2A. Major cheliped merus distally expanded and shallowly excavated ventrally; major chela palm conspicuously excavated ventrally, accommodating merus............................................................................ 3

2B. Major cheliped merus distally not expanded and not excavated ventrally; major chela palm not conspicuously excavated ventrally............................................................................................... 4

3A. Stylocerite reaching beyond distal margin of second article of antennular peduncle; rostral carina well marked, posteriorly reaching beyond level of eyestalks; telson with first pair of dorsal cuspidate setae situated at about its half-length; third pereiopod merus at most five times as long as wide; third pereiopod dactylus rather stout, about 0.4 length of propodus; uniformly yellow-orange in life........................................................ S. alvarezi Anker & Lazarus, 2015

3B. Stylocerite not reaching mid-length of second article of antennular peduncle; rostral carina feebly marked, posteriorly not reaching beyond base of rostrum; telson with first pair of dorsal cuspidate setae situated at about 0.7 of its length; third pereiopod merus about eight times as long as wide; third pereiopod dactylus slender, elongate, at least 0.7 length of propodus; with dark transverse purple-brown-blue bands and pale orange antennal flagella in life..... S. malagensis Anker & Lazarus, 2015

4A. Orbital teeth not noticeably up-turned, pointing anteriorly; major chela merus slender, more than six times as long as maximum width; major chela carpus with distal margin bearing rounded lobes; cutting edges of major chela evenly serrated, with rounded to subtriangular teeth on both dactylus and pollex; ischium of major and minor cheliped unarmed; uniformly bright yelloworange in life, with reddish eggs or gonads........................................ S. serratidigitus ( Coutière, 1897)

4B. Orbital teeth up-turned by almost 45°, pointing antero-dorsally; major chela merus stout, about 3.5 times as long as maximum width; major chela carpus with distal margin bearing strong subacute ventrolateral process; cutting edges of major chela serrated, with some dactylar teeth larger and resembling shark teeth; ischium of major and minor cheliped armed with stout cuspidate seta; uniformly creamy or pale-yellowish in life, with yolk-yellow gonads..................... S. tiburon sp. nov.