Alpheus floridanus
Creators: name: Bracken-Grissom, Heather D.
name: Felder, Darryl L.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2014
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Malacostraca
Decapoda
Alpheidae
Alpheus
Alpheus floridanus

description: Key to American species of the Alpheus floridanus complex
1. Antennal scale (scaphocerite) lateral margin sinuous (Fig. 6 c), medial bend (toward body midline) originating near midlength; pereopod 5 propodus bearing 1–7 movable spines (rarely lacking, often conspicuous) on ventromesial surface (Fig. 8 e); in life, weakly pigmented except for irregular orange banding on chelae, body translucence overlain by diffuse dorsal aggregations of small orange chromatophores [inner continental shelf, southern Gulf of Mexico, southeastern Florida and Caribbean; eastern Atlantic, Africa]................................................................... Alpheus roblesi sp. nov.
- Antennal scale lateral margin concave (Figs. 3 a, 4 b, 9 b, 12 b, 15 d), medial bend (if any) restricted to spine at tip; pereopod 5 propodus lacking movable spines along ventromesial surface; in life, body pigmentation varied, sometimes including strongly contrasting dorsal patterns of red, orange, green, brown, or yellow............................................... 2
2. Antennal scale (scaphocerite) blade and its distolateral tooth distinctly over-reaching distal end of antennular peduncle (Figs. 3 a, 4 b, 9 b), distolateral tooth distinctly over-reaching blade, often by>1/10 blade length............................. 3
- Antennal scale blade and its distolateral tooth reaching about to distal end of antennular peduncle, rarely with both slightly over-reaching it, distolateral tooth exceeding blade by <1/10 blade length, if at all.................................. 4
3. Pereopod 3 and 4 propodus bearing 1–2 movable spines on proximal half of ventrolateral margin (Fig. 11 b, d, e); mandible incisor with strong dentition on <1/2 of cutting edge (Fig. 10 a); in life, body translucence overlain by diffuse dorsal aggregations of small orange chromatophores, lacking distinct longitudinal bars on carapace and abdomen (Fig. 2 e–f) [inner continental shelf, Gulf of Mexico and Carribean]...................................................... A. ulalae sp. nov.
- Pereopod 3 and 4 propodus bearing 3 or more movable spines along ventrolateral margin, often extending onto distal half (Figs. 3 l, m; 5 b, c); mandible incisor with strong dentition along entire margin (Fig. 3 c); in life, chromatophores forming strong pattern of brownish-maroon to orange longitudinal bars on off-white to pale green background of carapace and abdomen (Fig. 1 a–g) [nearshore and shallow western Atlantic, southern Gulf of Mexico, Brazil, southeastern Florida and Caribbean].................................................................................. A. floridanus s.s.
4. In life, chromatophores typically rust-orange to red, loosely distributed into interconnected spots and ill-defined lateral bars or crescents on abdominal somites, sixth somite not dorsally more pigmented than preceding somites or proximal half of uropodal endopods (Fig. 2 j–l); mature specimens with major cheliped ischium lateral longitudinal furrow deeply defined; pereopod 4 propodus bearing 1–4 movable spines on ventrolateral surface [muddy middle and inner continental shelf, northern Gulf of Mexico through Caribbean and Brazil]..................................................... Alpheus platycheirus
- In life, chromatophores typically deep fire-red to reddish brown, densely distributed overall, sixth abdominal somite more densely pigmented than fifth or proximal half of uropodal endopods (Fig. 2 g–i); mature specimens with major cheliped ischium lateral longitudinal furrow broad, shallow; pereopod 4 propodus bearing 3–4 movable spines on ventrolateral surface [muddy middle and inner continental margins, eastern Pacific, Gulf of California to Ecuador]... Alpheus hephaestus sp. nov.
description: Published as part of Bracken-Grissom, Heather D. & Felder, Darryl L., 2014, Provisional revision of American snapping shrimp allied to Alpheus floridanus Kingsley, 1878 (Crustacea: Decapoda: Alpheidae) with notes on A. floridanus africanus, pp. 451-491 in Zootaxa 3895 (4) on pages 490-491, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3895.4.1, http://zenodo.org/record/229141