New hosts and distribution records for bopyrid isopods parasitising alpheid shrimps (Decapoda, Alpheidae) in the SW Gulf of Mexico and Mexican Caribbean

ABSTRACT

Based on the examination of alpheid shrimps from the SW Gulf of Mexico and the Mexican Caribbean, deposited in two scientific collections housed in the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, we document for the first time Synalpheus curacaoensis, Alpheus cristulifrons and A. estuariensis as hosts of bopyrid isopods, and for the latter alpheid species is confirmed their distribution in Mexican coasts. Similarly, the bopyrids Capitetragonia alphei and Parabopyrella lata are recorded for the first time along coasts of Mexico. New hosts are reported for Bopyrione synalphei, on Synalpheus elizabethae; Parabopyrella mortenseni, on Alpheus normanni and A. cristulifrons; and Eophryxus subcaudalis on Synalpheus anasimus. The distribution range of Bopyrella harmopleon is extended and new localities are reported for B. synalphei, P. mortenseni and E. subcaudalis. Morphological remarks for the six bopyrid species are provided and reproductive data (fecundity and embryo size) are given for five of them.

KEYWORDS:

• Bopyridae
• epicaridea
• host-parasite association
• Isopoda
• west Atlantic coast

Acknowledgements

The authors express their gratitude to “Programa de Becas Posdoctorales UNAM” for the scholarship granted to the first author; to S. Guzmán-Gómez (Laboratorio de microscopía y fotografía de la biodiversidad, LANABIO/IB/UNAM) for her assistance in taking the photographs; to J. L. Villalobos-Hiriart (Colección Nacional de Crustáceos/IB/UNAM), M. Martínez-Mayén (Unidad de Ecología/ICMyL/UNAM), P. Homá-Canché (UMDI Sisal/UNAM) and D. Ugalde-García (UMDI Sisal/UNAM) for his support during the laboratory work; to Jason D. Williams and an anonymous reviewer for the comments and suggestions that doubtless improved this paper.

Disclosure statement

The authors do not have potential conflict of interest to report.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Programa de Becas Posdoctorales, UNAM, through a Post-doctoral fellowship to the first author. The recollection of the specimens housed at the ‘Colección de crustáceos de Yucatán’ was possible by the project ‘Biodiversidad Marina del Sur del Golfo de México’ directed by Nuno Simões and funded by Harte Research Institute of Texas A&M University and the Comisión Nacional para el Conocimiento y uso de la Biodiversidad [CONABIO - NE 018].