The Stomatopod Alachosquilla floridensis (Manning, 1962) (Crustacea, Stomatopoda, Nannosquillidae) Reported from Guana Island, British Virgin Islands, with Observations on Color

Abstract

Although color pattern can vary among and within species of the Crustacea, it can also be a conservative feature that can be very helpful in field identifications. This is often the case in the Crustacea Decapoda, where sibling species can be detected by subtle differences in color (e.g., Williams and Felder 1989, Zimmerman and Felder 1991, Knowlton and Mills 1992). Stomatopods are among the most colorful crustaceans when living. Many species show a great deal of variability (Manning 1969, Camp 1973), and knowledge of this coloration is often key to their identification in the field and in the lab (Schotte and Manning 1993). As part of an ongoing survey of the marine invertebrate fauna of Guana Island, British Virgin Islands, we collected 2 large (45 mm and 48 mm TL) females, and one male specimen (30 mm TL) of the rarely reported stomatopod species Alachosquillafloridemis (Manning 1962). To our knowledge, the species has been reported previously in the literature only 4 times (see Schotte and Manning 1993). These reports are based on a total of 8 specimens. Previous distribution records for the species include Lake Worth Inlet, Florida; Virgin Gorda, US Virgin Islands; Isla Marguerita, Venezuela; Bahia, Brazil; and Saint Giles Island and London Bridge Rock, Tobago, West Indies (Manning 1969, Schotte and Manning 1993). Alachosquilla floridensis was first described as Lysiosquillafloridensis by Manning (1962). The species was transferred to the genus Acanthosquilla by Manning (1963), along with L. digueti (Coutifere 1905) from the eastern Pacific. Later, Manning (1974) synonymized A. floridensis with A. digueti. Subsequently Schotte and Manning (1993) recognized the differences between the 2 species, and also placed the 2 into a newly created genus, Alachosquilla.