Parapontocaris vicina

Overview & Synopsis

Parapontocaris vicina (Dardeau & Heard, 1983) (Fig. 3) Aegeon caribbaeus Chace, 1956, 13 [in part]. Parapontocaris vicina — Chace 1984: 30 (in key).— Campos et al. 2005: 87, fig. 51.— Felder et al. 2009: 1061. Material examined. BIOREPES3 stn. C5, ♀ 1, ovigerous ♀ 1. COBERPES stn A 10, ovigerous ♀ 2; stn B3, ♀ 2, ovigerous ♀ 2; stn B15, ♀ 1. COBERPES3 stn B10, ♀ 1; B15, ♀ 1; α6, ovigerous ♀ 1; α 7♀ 1. Overall Geographic and Bathymetric Distribution. This species was recorded in Western Atlantic, from Bahamas Islands; North central Gulf of Mexico, off Mississippi River Delta (Chace 1956); Straits of Florida; sectors of the Gulf of Mexico: NNE, and ESE, from 366–612 m (Felder et al. 2009); Caribbean Sea, off Honduras and Nicaragua (Bullis & Thompson 1965), and Colombia, from 366 to 549 m depth (Cruz et al. 2002). Distribution in the Southwestern and Southeastern Gulf of Mexico. We collected P. vicina in front of Pánuco River, Veracruz (sector WSW), and in front of Carmen and Machona Lagoons, Tabasco (SSW), from 325 to 513 m depth, on muddy sediments (Fig. 3). Remarks. This species like P. caribbaea was few abundant during trawls and it is the first time that P.vicina is registered in the WSW and SSW sectors of the Gulf of Mexico. The size range for the females was 16.0– 21.7 mm CL; and 19.7–22.8 for ovigerous females. The 6 ovigerous females occurred in autumn and summer. As Dardaeu & Heard (1983) pointed out, the two species of Parapontocaris never occurred together in the same haul, although they were collected in successive trawl hauls.