Dulichiella lecroyae Lowry & Springthorpe, 2007

Figs 18, 29D

Melita fresnelli Melita fresnelli Kunkel 1910: 31-34, fig. 11; Pearse 1912: 371.

Dulichiella sp. A: LeCroy 2000: 78, fig. 126.

Dulichiella lecroyae Lowry & Springthorpe, 2007: 34-38, figs 25-28.

Material examined.

Panama • 5-10 mm • 1 ♂, 1 ♀; Bocas del Toro, Swan Cay; 9.453333°N, 82.298333°W; depth 2-3 m, in orange sponge; 4 Aug 2005; S. DeGrave leg.; GCRL 6649 • 4 ♂, 1 ♀; Bocas del Toro, Crawl Cay; 9.250467°N, 82.131617°W; depth 10 m, in sponge; 7 Aug 2005; S. DeGrave leg.; GCRL 6650 • 1 ♀; Bocas del Toro, Punta Caracol; depth 1 m, in Lissodendoryx columbiensis sponge, 9 June 2009; K. Hultgren leg.; GCRL 6651 • 5 ♂, 4 ♀; Bocas del Toro, STRI Point; 9.34872°N, 82.26258°W; depth 12 m, among coral rubble, 6 Aug 2021; K.N. White leg.; USNM 1703533• 1 ♂, 3 ♀; Bocas del Toro, Juan Point; 9.3015°N, 82.29404°W; depth 10 m, among coral rubble, 7 Aug 2021; K.N. White leg.; USNM 1703534 • 12 ♂, 5 ♀; Drago; 9.418056°N, 82.3375°W; depth 2-3 m, among coral rubble, 9 Aug 2021; K.N. White leg.; USNM 1703535 • 1 ♀; Bocas del Toro , San Cristobal; 9.2625°N, 82.235°W; depth 15 m, among coral rubble, 10 Aug 2021; K.N. White leg.; USNM 1703536 • 1 ♂; Bocas del Toro, Pandora; 9.327769°N, 82, 222207°W; depth 10 m, among coral rubble, 10 Aug 2021; K.N. White leg.; USNM 1703537 • 1 ♂; Bocas del Toro, Crawl Cay; 9.2376°N, 82.1438°W; depth 1.5-3 m, among coral rubble, 11 Aug 2021; K.N. White leg.; USNM 1703538 .

Diagnosis.

Gnathopod 1 coxa anteroventral corner not produced, anterior margin straight. Gnathopod 2 propodus distolateral crown with four rounded or subacute spines; dactylus apically hooked, fitting into posterodistal corner of propodus. Pereopods 6 and 7 carpus and propodus without bunches of long slender setae. Epimeron 1 posteroventral corner subquadrate; epimeron 3 posterodistal margin smooth.

Distribution.

U.S.A.: Gulf of Mexico, South Florida, Cedar Keys, Dry Tortugas, South Carolina, Georgia (LeCroy 2000; Lowry and Springthorpe 2007); Bermuda: Flatts Village, Castle Harbor, Harrington Sound (Kunkel 1910); Panama: Bocas del Toro (present study).

Ecology and remarks.

These amphipods are associated with sponges and coral rubble at depths of 0-12 m. Panamanian specimens closely resemble previously described specimens, with slight variation in the anteroventral margin of the head. Panamanian specimens show a minutely bifid notch rather than a single acute point.