Leucothoe machidai White, 2019

Dugger, Abigail R. & White, Kristine N., 2025, Caribbean Amphipoda (Crustacea) of Panama. Part V: parvorder Amphilochidira, ZooKeys 1259, pp. 57-102 : 57-102

Leucothoe machidai White, 2019

Figs 18 , 24 C

Leucothoe machidai White, 2019: 5–8, figs 4, 5.

Material examined.

Panama • 2–6.5 mm • 2 ♀; Bocas del Toro, Hospital Bight ; 9.3044°N, 82.1316°W; depth 1.5 m; among sponges, coral rubble, and sand; 7 Aug 2005; T. A. Haney leg.; 1 GCRL 669 • 1 ♀; Bocas del Toro, Cayo Solarte ; 9.3336°N, 82.2189°W; depth 2 m; among coral rubble; 7 Aug 2005; R. Collin, M. Faust, E. Gaiser, S. LeCroy, S. Richardson, M. Sorensen leg.; GCRL 6692 • 1 ♂, 1 ♀; Bocas del Toro, Drago ; 9.4134°N, 82.3334°W; depth 1–3 m; among coral rubble; 23 June 2023; K. N. White leg.; USNM 1762962 • 1 ♂, 2 ♀; Bocas del Toro, Crawl Caye ; 9.2476°N, 82.1290°W; depth 5–8 m; among coral rubble; 26 June 2023; K. N. White leg.; USNM 1762963 • 3 ♂, 5 ♀; Bocas del Toro, Crawl Caye ; depth 0–1 m; buoy scraping; 28 June 2023; K. N. White leg.; USNM 1762964 .

Diagnosis.

Head anterior margin truncate; ventral keel anterior margin weakly concave, anteroventral margin serrate. Gnathopod 1 basis anterior margin with a few short setae; carpus proximal margin dentate, lacking facial setae; propodus palm dentate, with distal setae; dactylus reaching greater than 0.2 × propodus length. Gnathopod 2 basis anterior margin with several short setae; carpus distally rounded, anterior margin dentate; propodus primary mediofacial setal row above midline, slightly displaced, reaching 0.7 × propodus length, secondary row with three setae, palm with small tubercles, one row of submarginal setae present. Coxa 4 minutely serrate, posterior margin tapered. Epimeron 3 posteroventral corner quadrate.

Distribution.

USA: Tampa Bay, Florida ( White 2019); Panama: Bocas del Toro (present study).

Ecology and remarks.

This species occurs among sponges, sand, and coral rubble and on buoys in Panama at depths of 0– 8 m. White (2019) recorded this species from solitary ascidians and sponges in Tampa, Florida. Panamanian specimens agree closely with the original description, with the exception of the anterior head margin being more truncate than rounded. Living specimens are translucent ivory with a pink tint.

Figures

Figure 18. Leucothoe machidai, male, 6 mm, gnathopod 1 medial, coxa 4, epimeron 3, head, gnathopod 2 medial, pereopod 5. Scale bars: 0.5 mm.

Figure 24. Photographs of living specimens unless noted. A. Leucothoe kensleyi; B. Leucothoe laurensi; C. Leucothoe machidai (ethanol-preserved specimen); D. Leucothoe tunica (ethanol-preserved specimen); E. Leucothoe ubouhu; F. Leucothoe wuriti. Scale bars: 1.0 mm.