Nikoides schmitti Manning & Chace 1971

Nikoides schmitti Manning & Chace, 1971

(Fig. 1)

Nikoides schmitti Manning & Chace, 1971: 8, figs 3–5; Chace 1972: 142; Hayashi 1975: 53 (key); Heck 1977: 338 (table 1); Carvacho 1979: 466; Williams 1984: 141, fig. 99; Abele & Kim 1986: 23, 254 (key), 260, 261 (fig.); Martínez Iglesias et al. 1986: 38; Noël 1986: 296 (key); Camp et al. 1998: 142; Boschi 2000: 100; Martínez Iglesias & García Raso 1999: 544 (table 1); Nizinski 2003: 109; Román-Contreras & Martínez-Mayén 2007: 126, fig. 1; Felder et al. 2009: 1059. Processa aff. P. g u y a n a e – Herbst et al. 1979: 990 (table 1) (see Williams 1984).

Material examined. Brazil, Bahia, Camamu Basin: 1 f (CL 4.37 mm), 13°29’20.1”S, 38°47’37.1”W, 11.I.2008, depth 45.5 m, bottom sediment mainly silt (32.4%) and medium sand (18.4%) (MZUESC 1341); 1 ni (CL 5.85 mm), 13°30’33.7”S, 38°47’04.1”W, 19.I.2008, depth 49.2 m, bottom sediment mainly medium (28.2%) and coarse sand (26.2%) (MZUESC 1342); 1 f (CL 9.44 mm), 1 ovf (CL 9.94 mm), 13°28’57.9”S, 38°49’06.3”W, 20.I.2008, depth 38.1 m, bottom sediment mainly clay (37.6%) and silt (18%) (MZUESC 1343).

Diagnosis. Antenal spine present. Stylocerite with lateral spine. Right P1 chelate, left with simple dactyl. Pereiopod 2 strongly asymmetrical, the right being much longer than the left. Right P2 with 23–24 meral and 43– 49 articles, left with 5 meral and 17–18 carpal articles. Carpus of P5 longer than propodus. Fifth abdominal segment unarmed posterolaterally. Abdominal sternites unarmed.

Distribution. Western Atlantic: Cape Lookout, North Carolina (Williams 1984); Biscayne Bay and Dry Tortugas, Florida (Manning & Chace 1971); Quintana Roo, Mexico (Román-Contreras & Martínez-Mayén 2007); Cuba (Martínez Iglesias et al. 1986); Guadeloupe (Carvacho 1979); Caribbean coast of Panama (Heck 1977); between Guyana and Surinam (Manning & Chace 1971); Camamu Basin, Bahia, Brazil (this study).

Ecology. This species inhabits seagrass meadows, reef lagoons, coral reefs and high-salinity areas of estuaries, at a depth range of 0.4– 49 m (Williams 1984; Román-Contreras & Martínez-Mayén 2007; present study); it probably uses temporary burrows as refuges during the day (Román-Contreras & Martínez-Mayén 2007).

Remarks. No new data on morphology and variability of N. schmitti have been added since the original description of this species by Manning & Chace (1971). For instance, accounts in Hayashi (1975, key), Williams (1984, diagnostic characters), and Noël (1986, key) are all based on the original description. The Brazilian specimens of N. schmitti appear to differ from the type specimens in a few morphological features. All specimens from Camamu Bay are incomplete, having lost most of their pereiopods in the dredge process. For instance, one ovigerous female (lot MZUESC 1343) has only the left P2, with only 3 meral and 14 distinct carpal articles. P3 are missing. The left P4 merus and ischium bear 4 and 2 spiniform setae, respectively, on the ventrolateral surface. Right P4 is missing. The ventrolateral surface of merus and ischium of both P5 is unarmed, as described by Manning & Chace (1971). P2 are missing in the other non-ovigerous female from the same lot and therefore, it is not possible to determine the variation in the number of carpal articles of P 2 in our samples. In this female, the P3 merus and ischium bear 4 and 1 (left P3) or 2 (right P3) spiniform setae, respectively, on the ventrolateral surface. The same pattern is observed on P4. P5 are missing. In the original description, Manning & Chace (1971) reported 4 and 2 spiniform setae on the merus and ischium, respectively, of P3 and P4. The small observed differences in the number of spiniform setae in our material may be related to their partial loss during the dredging.