Parasitic bopyrid isopods of hermit crabs (Anomura, Paguridae) from the Atlantic coast of Mexico, with notes on their reproduction and distribution

Abstract

Six species of bopyrids were detected from the examination of hermit crabs collected along the Atlantic coasts of Mexico and deposited in the Colección Nacional de Crustáceos housed at the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México. Asymmetrione tuxtlaensis sp. nov., the third species of the genus from the west Atlantic, is described. The occurrence of Asymmetrione desultor, Pseudostegias atlantica and Stegias clibanarii are recorded for the first time from the Mexican Atlantic coasts and the distribution range of the last two species is extended. Both a new host and three new localities for Mexico are reported for Anathelges hyptius and Bopyrissa wolffi, respectively. Distribution and reproductive data are provided for all six species examined. A key to genera and species of bopyrid isopods that parasitize hermit crabs in the Mexican Atlantic is provided.

Cataphryxus zapoteca sp. nov. (Isopoda, Bopyridae) and new hosts and records of bopyrid isopods from the Mexican Eastern Pacific

“…To our knowledge, there are no previous reproductive data for this species. The average fecundity of M. pleuroncodis was the second highest of all species treated in this study but the sizes and volume of embryos are similar to the other species reported here (Table 1 ) and to other bopyrids (Romero-Rodríguez & Álvarez, 2020 , 2023 ). Overall, the oostegites of ovigerous females were tightly overlapped but fecundity was quite variable, even in females of similar sizes, which could be attributed to the sampling stress produced during the collection of its host.…”

“…Overall, ovigerous females of the larger species, P. markhami and M. pleuroncodis , carried a greater number of embryos (Table 1 ) which is consistent with the assumption that fecundity in bopyrids is positively related to female size (Beck, 1980 ; McDermott, 1991 , 2002 ; Romero-Rodríguez & Román-Contreras, 2013 ). Likewise, it is important to highlight that embryo sizes data for the 5 species examined were comparable to those reported for other bopyrids (Cericola & Williams, 2015 ; Romero-Rodríguez & Álvarez, 2020 , 2023 ), and provides an initial insight on reproductive traits of these bopyrid species, as the information comes from samples not systematically collected for isopod parasites; thus, further studies are needed in order to get a better understanding of the reproductive behavior of this parasitic group in the Eastern Pacific.…”

“…4 G-H). No previous reproduction data for P. bruscai is available but fecundity and embryo size recorded from the female examined (Table 1 ) are similar to those reported for other bopyrids of comparable size (see Cericola & Williams, 2015 ; Romero-Rodríguez & Álvarez, 2020 , 2023 ).…”

“…2 C, 3 C) fits well all other characters previously reported for S. striata by Nierstrasz & Brender à Brandis (1929) and Campos & Campos ( 1990 ). The female examined was almost detached from the host’s branchial chamber, which could explain the absence of the male and the evident brood mass loss, as it was only carrying 25 embryos in stage I, with sizes (Table 1 ) similar to those recorded for other bopyrid species (see Romero-Rodríguez & Álvarez, 2020 , 2023 ).…”

“…Table 1 shows the average fecundity and embryo size recorded in two ovigerous females of P. markhami , to our knowledge, these are the first reproductive data for this bopyrid. The fecundity calculated for P. markhami is among the highest recorded for any bopyrid (see Cericola & Williams, 2015 ; Romero-Rodríguez & Álvarez, 2020 ; 2023 ) which could be explained by the large size of the ovigerous female examined (~18 mm TL) because in bopyrids fecundity is positively related to the size of ovigerous females (see Cericola & Williams, 2015 ). Sizes of embryos in stage I (Table 1 ) are similar to those previously reported for other bopyrid species but epicaridium larval size (Table 1 ) is slightly larger than those of other species (see Romero-Rodríguez and Álvarez, 2020 , 2023 ).…”