Eupronoe maculata Claus 1879

Eupronoe maculata Claus, 1879

Eupronoe maculata Claus, 1879: 28; Siegel-Causey, 1982: 272; Vinogradov et al., 1996: 447 (key), 448, fig. 194; Gasca et al., 2010: 933; Gasca et al., 2012:126; Lavaniegos & Hereu, 2009: 147, 142 (table 1), 152 (Appendix 1); Lavaniegos, 2014: 5‒8 (passim), 4 (table 1).

Material examined. 19M and 26F from 15 stations (Fig. 2). TALUD I. St. 6 (23°15’54”N, 107°31’12”W), December 12, 1989, 1F, BO, from surface to 1550 m (TD> 2000 m) (ICML-EMU-12762-A). TALUD III. St. 3B (22°36’36”N, 106°35’54”W), August 17, 1991, 4 F, I-K from surface to 275 m (TD ND) (ICML-EMU-12762-B); St. 19 (25°12’00”N, 109°07’00”W), August 20, 1991, 1M, 3F, I-K from surface to 410 m (TD 920 m) (ECO- CH-Z 10365); St. 19B (25°18’24”N, 109°18’36”W), August 20, 1991, 3M, 1F, I-K from surface to 600 m (TD 1890 m) (ECO-CH-Z 10366); St. 25A1 (25°51’00”N, 109°57’00”W), August 21, 1991, 4M, 9F, I-K from surface to about 200 m (TD 1280–1360 m) (ICML-EMU-12762-C); St. 25A2 (25°50’54”N, 109°56’54”W), August 21, 1991, 1M, I-K from surface to 230 m (TD 1250–1328 m) (ICML-EMU-12762-D). TALUD IV. St. 25 (24°54’N, 108°58’W), August 26, 2000, 2F, BS, from surface to 778‒800 m (ICML- EMU-12763-A); St. 36 (25°51’59”N, 110°11’00”W), August 27, 2000, 1F, MN, from surface to 1000 m (TD 2100 m) (ICML-EMU-12763-B). TALUD V. St. 29 (25°14’36”N, 109°24’15”W), December 17, 2000, 1 F, MN, 1290 m (TD 2040 m) (ICML-EMU-12764-A); St. 36 (25°54’30”N, 110°11’24”W), December 17, 2000, 1M, 2F, MN from surface to 1340 m (TD 1990 m) (ICML- EMU-12764-B). TALUD VI. St. 7 (22°21’39”N, 107°01’42”W), March 14, 2001, 1M, MN from surface to 1305 m (TD 2100 m) (ICML-EMU-12765-A); St. 29 (25°16’24”N, 109°24’54”W), March 16, 2001, 4M, MN from surface to 1440 m (TD 2080 m) (ICML-EMU-12765-B). TALUD VII. St. 15 (23°25’06”N, 107°46’54”W), June 7, 2001, 1M, 1F, MN, 1425 m (TD 2320 m) (ECO-CH-Z-10367); St. 22 (24°20’56”N, 108°55’42”W), June 7, 2001, 1M, MN, from surface to 1415 m (TD 2000 m) (ECO-CH-Z-10368); St. 36 (25°42’37”N, 110°04’35”W), June 9, 2001, 1F, MN, from surface to 1390 m (TD 2400 m) (ICML-EMU-12766). TALUD X St. 7 (27°53’09”N, 112°16’42”W), February 10, 2007, 2M, MN from surface to 900 m (TD 1191 m) (ICML-EMU-12767).

Distribution. Cosmopolitan. In the eastern Pacific it has been recorded off the west coast of the Baja California Peninsula (Lavaniegos & Hereu 2009; Lavaniegos 2014, 2017), in the Gulf of California, off Jalisco and Colima, western Mexico, and off Ecuador (Brusca & Hendrickx 2005; García-Madrigal 2007; Gasca et al. 2012).

Remarks. In the Gulf of California E. maculata has been reported between 29°02’N, 112°47’W and 23°15’N, 108°22’W as a common species (Siegel-Causey 1982). Our material was recorded from the central (northernmost record at 27°53’09”N) and southern Gulf, south to 22°21’39”N (Fig. 1). Its occurrence off Jalisco and Colima was observed when “El Niño” conditions were present in the area (Gasca et al. 2012), thus suggesting that it might be associated to warmer water than its congener E. minuta, at least in this region. Adult E. maculata reach a total length of 8‒12 mm. This species can be distinguished from E minuta by its possession of a pereopod I fourth segment narrower than the fifth, the carpal process of pereopod II not being massive, but tapering to a distal point, and the telson tip with slightly concave sides.