Decapoda - Brachyura - Epialtidae - Epialtus

Epialtus portoricensis Rathbun, 1923



World Distribution
Felder et al. (2009) for E. longirostris - Western Atlantic - South Florida, Cuba, Antilles, Carribean Sea, Colombia. 3-54 m. Rathbun (1925) for E. longirostris forma portoricensis: only Porto Rico. Lesser Antilles (Guadeloupe).

Environnement : Marine - Substrat/Association : Hard bottom (rock and rubbles)

Vertical range : Shallow-waters (0-100 m) - Min-Max observed: 1-27 m

Lesser Antilles data
Distribution: ICA (?St Martin, Guadeloupe). ?1-27 m. Only/Antilles.
Epialtus portoricensis - Carmona-Suárez & Poupin, 2016: 356, Guadeloupe, Karubenthos 2012, MNHN-IU-2013-4207, st. GR14, 27 m, lot JL518.
Epialtus ?portoricensis - Saint Martin, RNN Inventory 22/04/2012, UF32454, photo dSTM_6996 [pre-determination J. Poupin from photo, with hesitation because chelipeds of this specimen much shorter than in P. portoricensis typical (?juvenile or female)].
Comment: This species is affiliated to Epialtus longirostris Stimpson, 1860. According to Carmona-Suárez & Poupin (2016) the specific status of E. portoricenis should be confirmed by examination of more specimens because characters retained by Rathbun (1923, 1925) are perhaps not of species level but in the range of morphological variations for Epialtus longirostris.

Comment(s) on data
Rathbun (1925) for E. longirostris forma portoricensis - Differs from typical longirostris only in the rostrum being slightly wider and less thick, and the tip slightly arcuate in dorsal view.
First record from Guadeloupe and second for the western Atlantic. Type-locality Ensenada Honda Culebra (Puerto Rico). The specific status of this species should be confirmed by examination of more specimens. Based on variations on specimens photographed at St Martin (see this database) it seems that characters retained by Rathbun (1923, 1925) are not of species level but in the range of morphological variations within Epialtus longirostris.

References : PDF list, 214 pp (1.4 Mo)

This species in Worms Database