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As in other tropical areas, the tanaidacean fauna of the western Caribbean Sea remains poorly known. Our study is based on the examination of several families of Tanaidacea from samples collected at 30 sites in a variety of shallow-water marine habitats along the Mexican Caribbean coast, located on the westernmost section of the Caribbean Basin. Up to 13 species belonging to seven families and 11 genera were identified. Of these species, four have been previously recorded from the Caribbean coast of Mexico and nine constitute new regional records. Nine species have been known to occur in the Caribbean Basin and four species, Hexapleomera robusta (Moore), Leptochelia dubia (Krøyer), Sinelobus stanfordi (Richardson), and Zeuxo kurilensis (Kussakin & Tzareva) are widely distributed forms, occurring in two or more oceans. Taxonomic and comparative comments are provided for some species recorded in the surveyed area. The male of Pseudotanais (Akanthinotanais) mortenseni Sieg is recognized and documented for the first time, based on the only specimen found. RESUMENTal como ocurre en otras áreas tropicales, el conocimiento acerca de la fauna de tanaidáceos del Mar Caribe occidental es aún pobre. Nuestro estudio está basado en el análisis de varias familias de Tanaidacea a partir de muestras recolectadas en 30 sitios que representan varios ambientes someros marinos a lo largo de la costa del Caribe Mexicano, que es la sección más occidental de la cuenca del Caribe. Se identificó un total de 13 especies pertenecientes a 7 familias y 11 géneros. Cuatro de estas especies habían sido reconocidas previamente en la costa caribeña de México pero 9 constituyen nuevos registros para esta zona. También son 9 las especies que se habían registrado en la cuenca del Caribe y otras 4 especies, Hexapleomera robusta (Moore), Leptochelia dubiaKrøyer), Sinelobus stanfordi (Richardson) y Zeuxo kurilensis (Kussakin & Tzareva) son formas con una distribución muy amplia y que ocurren en dos o más océanos. Se presentan comentarios 3 ) Corresponding author. © Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, 2005 Crustaceana 77 (10): 1153-1177 Also available online: www.brill.nl 1154 MARÍA DEL SOCORRO GARCÍA-MADRIGAL ET AL.taxonómicos y comparativos en referencia a varias de las especies encontradas en el área de estudio. El macho de Pseudotanais (Akanthinotanais) mortenseni Sieg es reconocido por vez primera y se presenta una descripción del único especimen encontrado.

Forty three species of leptocheliids are known worldwide. In the American region only eight species have been described from the Western Atlantic, while for the Eastern Pacific none have been described, suggesting that the diversity of this family has been severely underestimated in this region. Here we describe the first species of Leptochelia from the Eastern Pacific, Leptochelia mexicana n. sp., which is characterized by the males having a spiniform seta on the second segment of uropodal endopod, a novel feature for the genus. In addition, the first annotated checklist and a taxonomic key with illustrations for Leptochelia species are included. The list includes the type locality, type depository, distribution, habitat and, in some cases, remarks.