Quadrimaera ceres (Ruffo, Krapp & Gable, 2000)

White, Kristine N. & Sir, Sally J., 2024, Caribbean Amphipoda (Crustacea) of Panama. Part II: parvorder Hadziidira, ZooKeys 1195, pp. 249-296 : 249

Quadrimaera ceres (Ruffo, Krapp & Gable, 2000)

Figs 11 , 28D

Maera ceres Ruffo, Krapp & Gable, 2000: 11-13, figs 4-6.

Material examined.

Panama • 2-3 mm • 3 ♂, 5 ♀; Bocas del Toro, Drago ; 9.418056 N, 82.3375°W; depth 3 m, among coral rubble; 9 Aug 2021; K.N. White leg.; USNM 1703519 .

Diagnosis.

Antenna 1 accessory flagellum 7-articulate. Gnathopod 1 coxa anteroventrally rounded; carpus with dorsal depression and two short and four long facial setal rows. Gnathopod 2 propodus palmar margin with shallow U-shaped excavation between two subquadrate projections, palm defined by large projection; dactylus medially expanded, smooth. Telson inner corner acutely produced, each lobe with one medium and three long apical spines.

Distribution.

Bermuda: St. George’s Parish ( Ruffo et al. 2000); Panama: Bocas del Toro (present study).

Ecology and remarks.

These amphipods are associated with algae and coral rubble at depths of 0-3 m. Panamanian specimens closely resemble previously described specimens and can readily identified based on the gnathopod 2 propodus palm ornamentation.

Figures

Figure 11. Quadrimaera ceres, male, 3.4 mm, pereopod 7, gnathopod 1 propodus and carpus medial, gnathopod 2 medial, telson, coxa 1. Scale bars: 0.5 mm.

Figure 28. Photographs of live specimens unless noted A Elasmopus pocillimanus B Elasmopus thomasi C Meximaera diffidentia D Quadrimaera ceres (ethanol preserved specimen) E Quadrimaera cristianae F Quadrimaera miranda G Quadrimaera quadrimana. Scale bars: 1.0 mm.