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Tulumella unidens, a new genus and species of thermosbaenacean crustacean from the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico

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Thomas E. Bowman
Thomas E. Bowman
Thomas E. Bowman
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Thomas M Iliffe
Thomas M Iliffe
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Abstract

Tulumella, new genus, the sixth genus of Thermosbaenacea, with type species T. unidens, new species, is reported from Najaron Cave, near Tulum, Quintana Roo, Mexico. It is characterized by having small non-functional eyestalks, a scale on antenna 2, mandibles that may lack a lacinia mobilis and have reduced molars, a biramous pereopod 1, and a reduced pleopod 2. The family Monodellidae is recognized as valid, and a key is given to the families and genera of Thermosbaenacea.
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29
April
1988
PROC.
BIOL.
SOC.
WASH.
101(1), 1988,
pp.
221-226
TULUMELLA UNIDENS,
A NEW GENUS AND
SPECIES OF THERMOSBAENACEAN
CRUSTACEAN FROM THE YUCATAN
PENINSULA, MEXICO
Thomas
E.
Bowman and Thomas M. Iliffe
Abstract.
-
Tulumella,
new genus, the sixth genus of Thermosbaenacea, with
type species
T. unidens,
new species, is reported from Najaron Cave, near
TulGm, Quintana Roo, Mexico. It is characterized by having small
non-func-
tional eyestalks, a scale on antenna 2, mandibles that may lack a lacinia mobilis
and have reduced molars, a biramous pereopod 1, and a reduced pleopod 2.
The family Monodellidae is recognized as valid, and a key is given to the
families and genera of Thermosbaenacea.
In November 1986 the second author
made collections in nine caves and cenotes
on the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico, mostly
in the vicinity of the ancient Mayan city of
TulGm. From one of these caves he ob-
tained three specimens of the new
ther-
mosbaenacean described below.
Order Thermosbaenacea Monod, 1927
Family Monodellidae Taramelli, 1954
Telson separate from pleonite 6. Seven
pairs of pereopods present. Maxilliped of
6
with or without endopod.
Tulumella,
new genus
Diagnosis.
-Small eyestalks present,
without visual elements. Antenna 1 long,
with up to
18
flagellar segments. Antenna 2
with scale (exopod). Right or both mandi-
bles without lacinia mobilis; molar slender,
cylindrical; chewing surface divided into a
few slender spiniform teeth. Maxilla 2 with
2
broad basal endites armed with spoon-
shaped setae; exopod setose, inserted well
lateral to
endopod. Maxilliped with broad
endopod and exopod, both with several
marginal setae. Pereopod 1 biramous,
en-
dopod 5-segmented (including basis); pe-
reopods 2-7 with 2-segmented exopod and
6-segmented
endopod. Pleopod 1 a small
pyriform unarticulated lobe; pleopod 2 ar-
ticulated, elongate. Uropod exopod slightly
longer than
endopod; 1st segment slightly
longer than 2nd.
Type species.
-
Tulumella unidens,
new
species.
Etymology.-From
the ancient Mayan
city of Tulum, with the diminutive Latin
suffix
"ella."
Tulumella unidens,
new species
Figs. 1-2
Material.
-Mexico: Quintana Roo, near
ruins of Mayan city of TulGm:
Najaron (Na-
haron) Cave, leg. T. M. Iliffe 11 Nov 1986
(collection no.
86-106), 3 specimens: ho-
lotype, 2.9 mm, USNM 233394; paratypes,
3.0 and 1.8 mm, USNM 233395.
Etymology.
-From the Latin "uni-"
(one)
+
"dens" (tooth), referring to the lack
of a lacinia mobilis in both mandibles.
Diagnosis.
-As for the genus.
Description.
-Length up to about 3 mm
(the 3 mm
paratype is in 2 pieces; hence its
measurement is approximate). Carapace
covering pereonites 1-6. Eyestalks oval,
close together, partly covered by carapace.
222
PROCEEDINGS OF THE BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON
Fig.
1.
Tulumella unidens:
A, Habitus; B, Antenna
1;
C, Antenna
2;
D, Right mandible; E, Left mandible;
F,
Right mandible; G, Maxilla 1;
H,
Maxilla
2;
I, Maxilliped;
J,
Pereopod
1.
VOLUME
101,
NUMBER
1
223
Telson linguiform,
l/3
longer than wide; pos-
terior margin with medial pair of short spines
flanked by 2 pairs ofdistinctly longer spines.
Antenna 1 nearly
314
length of body. Pe-
duncle segments progressively shorter,
armed medially with long setae; segment 1
with lateral flange produced distally into
blunt process bearing 2 long setae, segment
3 with median distal process bearing 3 api-
cal setae. Outer flagellum 18-segmented,
segments 4-1 5 each with 1 or 2 long esthetes
and
1
or 2 shorter curved setae. Inner fla-
gellum about 0.7 length of outer flagellum,
14-segmented, each segment with several
distal setae of varying lengths. Antenna 2
scale about 3.5
x
as long as wide, with 10
marginal setae; flagellum about half as long
as inner flagellum of antennae 1, 10-seg-
mented.
Incisor of mandible slender with long
neck, left 6-cuspate, right 4-cuspate. Left
spine-row with
8
spines, right with 6, gaps
I
between spines decreasing toward molar.
i
Segment
2
of mandibular palp with single
row of
4
pectinate spines on distal half, seg-
1
ment
3
with double row of
3
pectinate spines
(6 in all) and pair of longer naked apical
spines.
Maxilla 1, coxal endite with 15 plumose
setae; basal endite with
9
apical spines with
denticulate medial margins; endopod (palp)
2-segmented, distal margin of 2nd segment
armed with 2 tricuspid spines, 2 spatulate
apically ciliate spines, and 1 naked seta.
Maxilla
2
coxa with row of about 22 long
setae on medial margin; coxal endite with
about
9
marginal setae; basal endites with
11 and 6 spoon-shaped setae respectively;
endopod subequal in length to basal endites
but much narrower, armed with
1
seta on
medial margin, 1 subapical seta, and 3 api-
cal setae; exopod oval, with 4 marginal
se-
tae.
Coxa of maxilliped not produced into
en-
dite; distal margin with 2 long setae reaching
distal margin of basal endite and lateral to
them a seta about
l/3
as long. Basal endite
with 13 setae on apical margin as shown in
Fig.
11 and
1
surface seta near medial mar-
gin.
Endopod a broad shallow lobe with
5
marginal setae. Exopod oval, with narrow
base and 3 setae on apical margin.
Pereopod 1 basis expanded anteriorly,
with row of long setae on anterior margin.
Ischium
3/4
length of basis, expanded ante-
riorly with
1
long seta on anterior margin.
Merus and carpus with long setae on pos-
terior (flexor) margin.
Propus broadening
distally; distal margin with 3 spiniform and
1 slender setae, largest (anterior) spiniform
seta interpreted as dactyl.
Pereopods 2-7 of uniform structure (Fig.
2A). Flexor margin of dactyl with row of
delicate peg-shaped spines on proximal half
and minutely serrate apex.
Pleopod 1 a short pyriform lobe with very
long apical seta. Right and left pleopods sep-
arated by distance equal to
2/3
length of api-
cal seta. Near lateral margin of pleonite 1,
a second pyriform lobe with
2
setae at apex,
1 on lateral margin, and 1 at base of medial
margin. Posterior margin of pleonite 1 be-
tween 2 lobes armed with 4 short setae with
swollen bases (Fig. 2C). It is not known
whether pleopod 1 is represented by the me-
dial lobe only or by both lobes plus the in-
tervening setae.
Pleopod
2
a pair of elongate rami nearly
8
x
as long as wide inserted close together
in an emarginate medial part of pleonite 2.
Apex of
ramus with apical seta more than
1.5
x
length of ramus; lateral margin with
5 setae, penultimate of which nearly as long
as
ramus.
Exopod of uropod about
l/4
longer than
endopod, 1 st segment slightly longer than
2nd. Medial margin of 1 st segment and both
margins of 2nd and of
endopod armed with
plumose setae. Distolateral corner of 1 st
segment of exopod with 3 spines increasing
in size distally and several setae as shown
in detail of Fig. 2E. Telson about 1.4 as long
as wide; posterior margin armed with 3 pairs
of spines with lengths (anterior to posterior)
2>1>3.
Comparisons.
-The presence of a scale
224
PROCEEDINGS OF THE BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON
Fig.
2.
Tulumella unidens:
A,
Pereopod
2;
B, Pereopod
4
dactyl; C, Pleopod
1;
D,
Pleopod
2;
E, Telson and
uropod, dorsal.
on antenna 2 and the absence of a lacinia
mobilis from both mandibles are unique
features for
Tulumella;
the other features
given in the diagnosis are shared with one
or more of the other genera. However,
un-
described species of
Tulumella
from the Ba-
hamas have a lacinia mobilis on the left
mandible
(J.
Yager, pers. comm.).
It is surprising that the family
Monodel-
lidae, proposed by Taramelli (1 954), has not
been recognized in subsequent works except
those of Barker (1959) and
McLaughlin
(1980). Indeed, the family was overlooked
by Bowman and Abele
(1
982) and Bowman
and Iliffe (1 986). In a recent list of all known
Thermosbaenacea, Stock (1 986) recognizes
only one family, Thermosbaenidae Monod,
1927. However, we are convinced that the
differences, given in the following key, are
sufficient to merit the recognition of two
families.
Key to the Families and Genera of
Thermosbaenacea
1. Telson fused with pleonite 6.
Max-
illiped of8 without endopod.
5
pairs
of pereopods
...................
.....
Thermosbaenidae Monod, 1927,
Thermosbaena
Monod, 1927
-
Telson separate from pleonite 6.
Maxilliped of
8 with or without en-
.....
dopod. 7 pairs of pereopods
Monodellidae Taramelli, 1954
... 2
2.
Eyestalks lacking. Exopod of pe-
reopod 6 and 7 l-segmented.
Pleo-
pods 1 and 2 with basal articulation,
nearly as long as their pleonites
. .
..............
Monodella
Ruffo, 1949
-
Eyestalks present. Exopod of per-
eopod 6 1
-
or 2-segmented. Pleopod
1 a small unarticulated lobe or ab-
sent
...........................
3
VOLUME 10 1, NUMBER
1
225
3.
Antenna 2 with scale. Lacinia mo-
bilis present in left mandible or
lacking in both mandibles.
Pereo-
pod 7 exopod 2-segmented
......
...............
Tulurnella,
new genus
-
Antenna 2 without scale. Lacinia
mobilis present in left mandible.
Pereopod
7
exopod 1- or 2-seg-
mented
........................
4
4.
Pereopod
7
exopod 2-segmented
. .
.............
Halosbaena
Stock, 1976
-
Pereopod 7 exopod 1 -segmented
. .
5
5. Pereopod 1
endopod ending in long
acute spine, flanked by 2 short
spines.
hagella of antenna 1 with
3
and 4 segments
.................
...........
Lirnnosbaena
Stock, 1976
Pereopod 1
endopod ending in
3
digitiform spines. Flagella of anten-
na 1 with 14 and 29 segments
....
...
Theosbaena
Cals and Boutin, 1985
Habitat.
-Najaron (Naharon) Cave is a
completely underwater limestone cenote
cave located about 8 km inland from the
Caribbean Sea on the eastern coast of the
Yucatan Peninsula (Coke
&
de Groot 1987).
The spacious underwater entrance to the
upstream, spring cave opens from the far
side of a large open
springlsiphon pool. The
walls of the cave are stained black, as are
the numerous underwater stalactites and
stalagmites. Cave passages are primarily de-
veloped at the depth of the halocline, about
-
15
m. At the halocline, a highly reactive
geochemical zone is produced by the mixing
of fresh ground water with subterranean Ca-
ribbean seawater, thus enhancing carbonate
dissolution and formation of cave passages
(Back et al. 1986). Salinities at the water
surface in the open cenote and at just above
the halocline at
-
14 m were 1.5%, while
those just below the halocline at
-
15 m and
at the bottom at
-
20 m were 32.5 and 3 5Ym,
respectively. Water temperature was 24'C
in November 1986. Water currents are lo-
calized to the upper fresher water layers in
the cave. The spring cave consists of two
main passages, each about 700 m in length.
All biological collections were made from
the Halocline System or East Side of the
cave complex. Most animals were observed
just above the halocline in oligohaline
waters. Collecting was done with a plankton
net and suction bottle from the water col-
umn in
-
10 to
-
18 m depths using scuba.
In addition to
Tulurnella unidens,
speci-
mens of copepods, amphipods, shrimp, and
remipedes
-
all still under study
-
were also
collected from the cave.
Acknowledgments
Cave collections in Yucatan by T. M.
11-
iffe were supported by National Science
Foundation Grants BSR-82 15672 and
BSR-
8417494. We thank James Coke, Dinah
Drago, Juan Jose Fucat, and Michael Mad-
den for assistance with cave diving collec-
tions and Dr. John
Markham for logistical
and collecting aid. We thank Jill Yager for
reviewing the manuscript. This publication
is Contribution No. 1 130 of the Bermuda
Biological Station for Research.
Literature Cited
Back,
W.,
B. B. Hanshaw,
J.
S. Herman,
&
J.
N. Van
Driel. 1986. Differential dissolution of a Pleis-
tocene reef in the ground-water mixing zone of
coastal Yucatan, Mexico.-Geology 14: 137-1 40.
Barker, D. 1959. The distribution and systematic po-
sition of the Thermosbaenacea.
-
Hydrobiolo-
gia 13(1-2):209-235.
Bowman, T. E.,
&
T.
M.
Iliffe. 1986. Halosbaena
fortunata, a new thermosbaenacean crustacean
from the Jameos del Agua marine lava cave,
Lanzarote, Canary
Islands.-Stygologia 2(1/2):
84-89.
,
&
L.
G. Abele. 1982. Classification of the
Recent Crustacea. Pp. 1-27
in
L.
G. Abele, ed.,
The biology of Crustacea, volume I, Academic
Press, New York.
Cals, P.,
&
C. Boutin. 1985. DCcouverte au Cam-
bodge, domaine ancien de la Tethys orientale,
d'un nouveau "fossile vivant" Theosbaena
cambodjiana n.g., asp. (Crustacea, Thermos-
baenacea).-Comptes Rendus Hebdomadaire
des
Seances de 1'AcadCmie des Sciences, Paris,
sene D, 300(8):337-340.
226
PROCEEDINGS OF THE BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON
Coke,
J.
G.,
&
J.
de Groot. 1987. Naharon.-Un-
derwater Speleology 14(1): 13-1 7.
McLaughlin,
P.
A.
1980. Comparative morphology
of Recent Crustacea. W.H. Freeman and Com-
pany, San Francisco, California, 177 pages.
Monod, T. 1927.
Thermosbaena mirabilis
Monod,
remarques sur sa morphologie et sa position
sys-
tkmatique. -Faune des Colonies Frangaises 1
:
29-5
1.
Ruffo, S. 1949.
Monodella stygicola
n.g. n.sp. nuovo
Botosaneanu, ed., Stygofauna Mundi, a
fau-
nistic, distributional, and ecological synthesis of
the world fauna inhabiting subterranean waters
(including the marine interstial). E.
J.
Brill/Dr.
W. Backhuys, Leiden.
Taramelli,
E.
1954.
La
posizione sistematica dei Ter-
mosbenacei quale risulta dallo studio anatomic0
di
Monodella argentarii
Stella.-Monitore
Zoologico Italiano
62(
1 ):9-27.
Crostaceo Termosbenaceo delle acque sottera-
(TEB)
D~~~~~~~~
of
~~~~~~b~~~~ zool-
nee della Penisola Salentina. (Nota prelimi-
nare).-Archivio Zoologico Italiano 34:31-48.
ogy, National Museum of Natural History,
Stock.
J.
H.
1976.
A
new genus and two new s~ecies
NHB-163, Smithsonian Institution, Wash-
-
of the crustacean order Thermosbaenacea from
ington, D.C. 28560; (TMI) Bermuda Bio-
the West Indies.-Bijdragen tot de Dierkunde
logical Station for Research, Inc., Ferry
46(1):47-70.
Reach
1
-
1 5, Bermuda.
.
1986. Thermosbaenacea. Pp. 585-588
in
L.
Note added in proof.-Monod
&
Cals (1988: Comptes Rendus de 11Acad6mie des
Sciences, Paris 306
(SCrie III):99-108) recently rearranged the classification of the Ther-
mosbaenacea, dividing the order into two families: 1. Thermosbaenidea, with the subfam-
ilies Thermosbaeninae and Monodellinae;
2.
Halosbaenidae, new, with the subfamilies
Halosbaeninae, new, and Limnosbaenin, new. Under this scheme
Tulumella
would go
into the Halosbaeninae.
... New records of each species at each cenote were assessed after an exhaustive literature investigation (Table 3). This evaluation was based only on the & Iliffe, 1988 Cervera *, Sabtun 1* STYGIOMYSIDA Stygiomysis cokei Kallmeyer & Carpenther, 1996 Tres Oches, San Elias, Dzonotila, Yax-Kis Stygiomysis cf. holthuisi (Gordon, 1958) Tres Holsinger, 1977 Ayun-Nah, Dzonotila, Ixim Ha, Bebelchen Mayaweckelia troglomorpha Angyal, 2018 Dzonbakal *, Kanun*, Xaan *, Kankirixche*, Dzonotila*, X'kokob*, Chihuo Hol*, Yax-Kis* Tuluweckelia cernua Holsinger, 1990 San Juan*, Dzonbakal*, Tres Oches*, Xaan*, Kakuel*, Kankirixche*, Santito*, X'baba*, Sabtun 1*, Pixton*, Yax-Kis* ISOPODA Creaseriella anops (Creaser, 1936) San Juan, Cervera, Tza Itza, Tres Oches, Kankirixche, Chihuo Hol Yucatalana robustispina Botosaneanu & Iliffe, 1999 Xaan, Kakuel, Kankirixche, Yaal Utsil, Tza Itza, Pol Box, Dzonotila, X'baba, El Virgen, Chihuo Hol, Yax Kis Cirolana yunca (Botosaneanu & Iliffe, 2000) Tres Oches, X'baba, Chihuo Hol DECAPODA Typhlatya dzilamensis Alvarez, Iliffe & Villalobos, 2005 Cervera, Sabtun 1 Typhlatya mitchelli Hobbs & Hobbs, 1976 San Juan, Tza Itza, Dzonbakal, Kampepen, Ayun-Nah, Tres Oches, Kakuel, Kankirixche, Sabtun 1, Bebelchen, El Virgen, Chihuo Hol Typhlatya pearsei Creaser, 1936 Tres Oches, Xaan, Kankirixche, Nohmozon Creaseria morleyi (Creaser, 1936) Tza Itza, Kampepen, Kakuel, Kankirixche, Santito, Kankal, Bebelchen, El Virgen, Dzalbay collected material that has been deposited in scientific collections. ...
... were obtained and uploaded to NCBI GenBank (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/genbank/).Bowman and Iliffe 1988;Rocha et al. 1998;Pohlman et al. 2000;Pesce and Iliffe 2002;Álvarez et al. 2015;Olesen et al 2015;Benítez et al. 2019.Type locality is Cenote Naharon (Cristal) in Quintana Roo. This species had only been reported from Quintana Roo from cenotes Calavera (Temple of Doom), Mayan Blue, Actun Ha (Carwash), Muknal, Na'ach Wennen Ha, Bang, Odys ...
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... New records of each species at each cenote were assessed after an exhaustive literature investigation (Table 3). This evaluation was based only on the & Iliffe, 1988 Cervera *, Sabtun 1* STYGIOMYSIDA Stygiomysis cokei Kallmeyer & Carpenther, 1996 Tres Oches, San Elias, Dzonotila, Yax-Kis Stygiomysis cf. holthuisi (Gordon, 1958) Tres Holsinger, 1977 Ayun-Nah, Dzonotila, Ixim Ha, Bebelchen Mayaweckelia troglomorpha Angyal, 2018 Dzonbakal *, Kanun*, Xaan *, Kankirixche*, Dzonotila*, X'kokob*, Chihuo Hol*, Yax-Kis* Tuluweckelia cernua Holsinger, 1990 San Juan*, Dzonbakal*, Tres Oches*, Xaan*, Kakuel*, Kankirixche*, Santito*, X'baba*, Sabtun 1*, Pixton*, Yax-Kis* ISOPODA Creaseriella anops (Creaser, 1936) San Juan, Cervera, Tza Itza, Tres Oches, Kankirixche, Chihuo Hol Yucatalana robustispina Botosaneanu & Iliffe, 1999 Xaan, Kakuel, Kankirixche, Yaal Utsil, Tza Itza, Pol Box, Dzonotila, X'baba, El Virgen, Chihuo Hol, Yax Kis Cirolana yunca (Botosaneanu & Iliffe, 2000) Tres Oches, X'baba, Chihuo Hol DECAPODA Typhlatya dzilamensis Alvarez, Iliffe & Villalobos, 2005 Cervera, Sabtun 1 Typhlatya mitchelli Hobbs & Hobbs, 1976 San Juan, Tza Itza, Dzonbakal, Kampepen, Ayun-Nah, Tres Oches, Kakuel, Kankirixche, Sabtun 1, Bebelchen, El Virgen, Chihuo Hol Typhlatya pearsei Creaser, 1936 Tres Oches, Xaan, Kankirixche, Nohmozon Creaseria morleyi (Creaser, 1936) Tza Itza, Kampepen, Kakuel, Kankirixche, Santito, Kankal, Bebelchen, El Virgen, Dzalbay collected material that has been deposited in scientific collections. ...
... were obtained and uploaded to NCBI GenBank (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/genbank/).Bowman and Iliffe 1988;Rocha et al. 1998;Pohlman et al. 2000;Pesce and Iliffe 2002;Álvarez et al. 2015;Olesen et al 2015;Benítez et al. 2019.Type locality is Cenote Naharon (Cristal) in Quintana Roo. This species had only been reported from Quintana Roo from cenotes Calavera (Temple of Doom), Mayan Blue, Actun Ha (Carwash), Muknal, Na'ach Wennen Ha, Bang, Odys ...
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... All samples were preserved in 80% EtOH and all organisms identified to species. Appropriate taxonomic keys were used to identify the collected organisms: amphipods (Bowman 1977, Bowman et al. 1984, Holsinger 1990), atyid shrimps (Alvarez et al. 2005, Botello et al. 2013, hippolytid shrimps (Escobar-Briones et al. 1997), isopods (Botosaneanu and Iliffe 1997), ostracods (Kornicker and Iliffe 1998), palaemonid shrimps Alvarez 2006, 2010), thermosbaenaceans (Bowman and Iliffe 1988), mysids (Kallmeyer and Carpenter 1996) and remipedes (Yager 1987, Olesen et al. 2017. ...
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Full-text available
  • Jul 2019
A study describing the diversity and distribution pattern of the stygobitic fauna in the Ox Bel Ha anchialine cave system adjacent to the Caribbean coast of the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico is presented. A total of 15 species of crustaceans were collected in three surveys at four points situated along a 10.2 km transect perpendicular to the coast line. A freshwater mass dominated throughout the transect with a halocline that appeared progressively deeper, from 10 to 18 m, with increasing distance from the coast. All the recorded species, except for one, occurred throughout the transect with no defined pattern. Abundance and species richness did not vary significantly with distance from the coast, whereas diversity (H’) peaked in the second sampling site at 3.17 km from the coast. As expected, most of the organisms occurred only in the freshwater layer, except for the remipede Xibalbanus tulumensis (Yager, 1987) that was found always at or below the halocline, and five other species that were found above and below the halocline. In the horizontal scale, species composition and occurrence mixed without a defined pattern, both, for sampling dates and sites. The results show that the analyzed fauna is distributed throughout the 10.2 km transect without showing any defined horizontal zonation pointing to a high connectivity among all sections. Due to the high connectivity within the caves in the area, it is expected that significant variation in species composition and distribution will be found at a larger regional scale.
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... By the early 2000's, more than ten subterranean malacostracan species had been described from the orders Thermosbaenacea, Stygiomysida, Isopoda and Amphipoda (eg. Bowman and Iliffe 1988;Holsinger 1990;Bowman and Iliffe 1999;Álvarez et al. 2005). ...
Uptaded checklist, historical overview and illustrated guide to the stygobiont Malacostraca (Arthropoda: Crustacea) species of Yucatan (Mexico) Subterranean Biology Published by The International Society for Subterranean Biology
Article
Full-text available
  • Nov 2020
This study provides an updated checklist and an illustrated guide to the 17 currently known stygobiont Malacostraca species of the state of Yucatan (Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico). The compilation is based on the individuals collected during our cave-diving expeditions (2016-2019), and, has the purpose of expanding previous knowledge on the taxonomy of these subterranean crustaceans. The identification guide contains drawings of the main diagnostic characters of the species as well as a brief introduction of the relevant malacostracan orders. The information is further complemented with a historic account and timeline of the stygobiont Malacostraca species of the Yucatan Peninsula. This is the first study that provides a unified tool for the morphological identification of these highly endemic species.
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... We calculated biomass using published regression parameters of length-weight regressions. We used Alonso (1996), Amoros (1984), Bowman (1977), Bowman & Iliffe (1988), Elías-Gutiérrez et al. (2008), Halliday (2015), Palacios-Vargas & Garcia-Gómez (2014), Pescador et al. (1995), Smith (1989) and Thyssen (2009) for identification and Baumgärtner & Rothhaupt (2003), Boates & Smith (1979), Jimenez et al. (2011), McCauley (1984, Méthot et al. (2012), Miserendino (2001), Pace (1986), Petersen (1975), Sabo et al. (2002), Sample et al. (1993), Towers et al. (1994) and Zalik & Strong (2008) for published regressions. An average-sized individual of each taxon was measured in length and if multiple published regressions were found for a taxon, the average weight resulting from the different regressions was used. ...
Explaining diversity patterns in dark waters – a study of aquatic caves in Yucatán, Mexico
Article
Full-text available
  • Jul 2019
In the tropics, limestone caves in karstic areas are known for their unique biodiversity. However, many caves remain unstudied and little is known about underlying gradients that determine diversity and biomass in aquatic microhabitats. Here, we sampled zooplankton and benthos in a set of 12 aquatic caves, locally called closed cenotes in Yucatán, Mexico. Our aim was to explain diversity patterns and differences in biomass with particular attention for correlations between bat colony characteristics and other biota. Compared with caves that support photosynthesis, diversity was low with an average of four planktonic and two benthic species in these dark caves. Undetectable phosphorus concentrations in the water suggest this nutrient is limiting. Several associations hint at a potential link between bat abundance and functional guild composition, water quality and aquatic biota. As such, more bats were linked to higher nitrate concentrations. Yet this was not translated to higher invertebrate biomass, probably since phosphorus is limiting. Overall, the trends found in this survey suggest that bats could be important as fertilizers of the caves although mechanistic links that mediate the flux of nutrients need to be confirmed experimentally.
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... Examples of these are the Mayaweckelia cenoticola, Tuluweckelia cernua, Bahadzia bozanici, and B. setodactylus (Holsinger 1977;Álvarez and Iliffe 2008;Álvarez et al. 2015); the restricted distribution Bahalana mayana (Bowman 1987;Iliffe 1992), Creaseriella anops, Cirolana (A.) yucatana, Haptolana bowmani, H. yunca, Metacirolana mayana, and Yucatalana robustispina (Kensley and Schotte 1989;Álvarez and Iliffe 2008;Álvarez et al. 2015); the Antromysis cenotensis and Stygiomysis cokei (Iliffe 1992;Álvarez and Iliffe 2008;Álvarez et al. 2015); and the Typhlatya campechae (Reddell 1977;Álvarez and Iliffe 2008), Creaseria morleyi (Iliffe 1992;Pérez-Aranda 1983;Álvarez and Iliffe 2008;Álvarez et al. 2015), Typhlatya dzilamensis, T. mitchelli, T. pearsei, Calliasmata nohochi (Álvarez and Iliffe 2008;Álvarez et al. 2015), Somersiella sterreri (Iliffe et al. 1983), Agostocaris bozanici, Yagerocaris cozumel, Janicea antiguensis, and Parahippolyte sterreri (Iliffe 1992;Álvarez and Iliffe 2008), the last five of which were collected only in Cozumel (Escobar-Briones et al. 1997). Among the more primitive crustaceans are the Speleonectes tulumensis remipede, which is endemic to several sites in the region (Yager 1987), and the Tulumella unidens (Bowman and Iliffe 1988) found in three cenotes near Tulum, Quintana Roo. ...
Biodiversity in Inland Waters
Chapter
  • Mar 2019
Mexico is considered a megadiverse country; it is one of the few countries that possess 70% of the vertebrate and vascular plant species worldwide; however, little is known about the diversity of Mexican freshwaters, and it is unknown if these ecosystems present the same trend of high biodiversity that terrestrial communities show. The present chapter provides an insight on the biodiversity in inland waters of Mexico through first introducing the regionalizations and inventories at different scales that have been done to identify those areas or sites in which important ecological and evolutionary phenomena occur, including biodiversity and endemisms, and, second, compiling the scattered information available on lentic, lotic, and wetland biodiversity of Mexico and illustrating this by particular cases (water bodies and ecosystems) worth mentioning.
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... Some anchialine isopods (family Cirolanidae) tend to be omnivores, display cannibalism, and feed on carcasses and other organic material deposited on the sediment (Pohlman et al., 1997). Others, like the mysid Antromysis (Antromysis) cenotensis Creaser, 1936 and the thermosbaenacean Tulumella unidens Bowman & Iliffe, 1988, filter organic matter and microbes suspended in the water column. Atyid shrimps (such as Typhlatya) display water-column filtering as well as sediment-scraping strategies (Pohlman et al., 1997;. ...
Predatory behavior of the cave shrimp Creaseria morleyi (Creaser, 1936) (Caridea: Palaemonidae), the blind hunter of the Yucatán cenotes, Mexico
Article
Full-text available
  • Dec 2017
Recent studies of the trophic structure of the underwater cave ecosystems in the Yucatán Peninsula have regarded the largest crustacean inhabitant, the blind palaemonid shrimp Creaseria morleyi (Creaser, 1936), as a scavenger and predator without any evidence on the behavior of the shrimp. The predatory behavior of C. morleyi is here described for the first time, verifying its classification as a predator. A variety of prey targets, including the atyid shrimp Typhlatya sp., were used to demonstrate predation and saprophagous feeding behavior in C. morleyi using in vitro and in situ observations. Scanning electron microscope images show the structures of the antennules and antennae that could be responsible for prey detection. Findings show that C. morleyi is capable of hunting a variety of prey, most likely depending on their relative size. Observations on the feeding strategy of C. morleyi suggest any animal within a particular size range is a potential prey, including its own species, which suggests the hypothesis that growth may be favored in early stages of life in order to reach a size refuge from predation. These observations provide information of some of the adaptations necessary for a predator to thrive in an aphotic and oligotrophic environment.
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First record of the thermosbaenacean genus Halosbaena from Asia: H. daitoensis sp. nov. (Peracarida: Thermosbaenacea: Halosbaenidae) from an anchialine cave of Minamidaito-jima Is., in Okinawa, southern Japan
Article
  • Jan 2009
A new species of Halosbaena is described from Japan as the first record of the genus from Asia. Halosbaena daitoensis sp. nov. differs from its congeners in the following combination of characters: rounded mediodistal angle of ocular scales; 12–14 segmented main flagellum of antenna 1; segment 2 of exopodite of pereiopods 2–5 with 8 plumose macrosetae; segment 2 of uropodal exopodite with 9 plumose macrosetae; telson about 0.6 times as width as length; distally tapering male penial lobe, with a short projection on its base. A key to species of the genus is provided.
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Halosbaena okinawaensis, a new species of Thermosbaenacea (Crustacea) from submarine cave on Okinawa Island, Ryukyu Islands, southwestern Japan
Article
  • Sep 2017
A new thermosbaenacean, Halosbaena okinawaensis sp. nov. is described from a submarine cave in Okinawa Island, Ryukyu Islands, southwestern Japan. The species differs from its congeners in having a subtrapezoidal exopod segment 1 of pereiopods 2–6, a curved penial lobe, and a telson with a pair of simple macrosetae subdistally on dorsal surface.
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Comparative morphology of Recent Crustacea
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McLaughlin, P. A. 1980. Comparative morphology of Recent Crustacea. W.H. Freeman and Company, San Francisco, California, 177 pages.
Thermosbaena mirabilis Monod, remarques sur sa morphologie et sa position systkmatique
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Monod, T. 1927. Thermosbaena mirabilis Monod, remarques sur sa morphologie et sa position systkmatique. -Faune des Colonies Frangaises 1 : 29-5 1.
Monodella stygicola n.g. n.sp. nuovo Botosaneanu Stygofauna Mundi, a faunistic , distributional, and ecological synthesis of the world fauna inhabiting subterranean waters (including the marine interstial)
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Ruffo, S. 1949. Monodella stygicola n.g. n.sp. nuovo Botosaneanu, ed., Stygofauna Mundi, a faunistic, distributional, and ecological synthesis of the world fauna inhabiting subterranean waters (including the marine interstial). E. J. Brill/Dr. W. Backhuys, Leiden.
La posizione sistematica dei Termosbenacei quale risulta dallo studio anatomic0 di Monodella argentarii Stella
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Taramelli, E. 1954. La posizione sistematica dei Termosbenacei quale risulta dallo studio anatomic0 di Monodella argentarii Stella.-Monitore Zoologico Italiano 62( 1 ):9-27.
ogy, National Museum of Natural History, Stock. J. H. 1976. A new genus and two new s~ecies NHB-163
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nee della Penisola Salentina. (Nota preliminare ).-Archivio Zoologico Italiano 34:31-48. ogy, National Museum of Natural History, Stock. J. H. 1976. A new genus and two new s~ecies NHB-163, Smithsonian Institution, Wash- of the crustacean order Thermosbaenacea from ington, D.C. 28560; (TMI) Bermuda Biothe West Indies.-Bijdragen tot de Dierkunde logical Station for Research, Inc., Ferry 46(1):47-70. Reach 1 -1 5, Bermuda.
Stygofauna Mundi, a faunistic, distributional, and ecological synthesis of the world fauna inhabiting subterranean waters (including the marine interstial)
  • Jan 1949
  • S Ruffo
Ruffo, S. 1949. Monodella stygicola n.g. n.sp. nuovo Botosaneanu, ed., Stygofauna Mundi, a faunistic, distributional, and ecological synthesis of the world fauna inhabiting subterranean waters (including the marine interstial). E. J. Brill/Dr. W. Backhuys, Leiden.