Synalpheus fritzmülleri Coutière, 1909: 35, fig. 18.
Material examined. 2 f, 3 ni, 03.VIII. 2008, Cairú, Tassimirim Beach, Boipeba Island, MZUESC 1322; 1 ni, 09.III. 2008, Belmonte, Mojiquiçaba Beach, MZUESC 1185; 10 ni, 16.V. 2007, Santa Cruz Cabrália, Coroa Vermelha Beach, MZUESC 871; 4 f, 6 ni, 07.III. 2008, Santa Cruz Cabrália, mouth of João de Tiba River (sandstone reef), MZUESC 1154; 3 ni, 07.III. 2008, Santa Cruz Cabrália, mouth of João de Tiba River (sandstone reef), MZUESC 1162; 1 f, 1 ni, 17.V. 2007, Porto Seguro, Mutá Beach (sandstone reef), MZUESC 901; 2 juv, 19.III. 2007, Nova Viçosa, Pontal da Barra Beach, near St. 2, MZUESC 818; 1 ni, 19.III. 2007, Nova Viçosa, Pontal da Barra Beach, St. 3, MZUESC 831. See also report by Almeida et al. (2006).
Distribution. Western Atlantic—Bermuda, Carolinas, Florida, northern Gulf of Mexico (Texas), Mexico (Veracruz, Quintana Roo), Colombia (Providencia), West Indies, Venezuela and Brazil (São Pedro and São Paulo Archipelago, Pernambuco to Santa Catarina). Central Atlantic—Ascension and Saint Helena Islands. Records from the eastern Pacific (e.g., Tres Marías Archipelago, Mexico) refer to other species (Christoffersen 1979, 1998; Holthuis et al. 1980; Manning & Chace 1990; A. Anker, pers. comm.).
Ecological notes. Reefs and generally hard bottoms, under rocks covered with algae and hydrozoans, in tide pools, in rock crevices, in concretions of calcareous algae, in sabellariid reefs, on jetties among barnacles, etc. Salinity range: 28–41 psu. Depth range: intertidal to 75 m (Christoffersen 1979).
Previous records. locality not informed (Coutière 1909, as Synalpheus fritzmülleri elongatus Coutière, 1909). “Continental Platform” (= Plataforma, Salvador, Hartt Explorations) (Christoffersen 1979, as S. fritzmuelleri), Salvador, Itaparica Island and Abrolhos (R/V Calypso, St. 85) (Christoffersen 1979, as S. fritzmuellerii); Ilhéus (Almeida et al. 2006); Camamu Bay (Almeida et al. 2007 b, as Synalpheus cf. fritzmuelleri).
Remarks. Synalpheus fritzmuelleri is morphologically quite variable and may require a more thorough study integrating both morphology and DNA (A. Anker, pers. com.).