Neopisosoma angustifrons

(Figs. 18, 19, 90A)

Pisosoma angustifrons Benedict 1901: 135, pl. 3, fig. 6.

Neopisosoma angustifrons.— Haig 1960: 131; Haig 1962: 181; Gore & Abele 1976: 18; Werding 1977: 187, fig. 9; Werding 1986: 162, fig. 1; Rodríguez et al. 2005: 553; Rodríguez et al. 2006: 154; Poupin & Lemaitre 2014: 10, fig. 2D; Diez & Lira 2017: 444; Poupin 2018: 147, fig. 143.

Material examined. None from Panama. Extra-limital material. French Antilles: 2 males, 1 ov. female, cl cw indet. (FLMNH UF 32030, 32032), Saint Martin, Sta. STM-032, 18°04’41.4”N, 63°00’44.7”W, Le Gallon, ocean side, exposed rocky coast with heavy surf, intertidal, leg. G. Paulay et al., 14.04.2012 (fcn BSTM-0642, BSTM-0643, BSTM-0644).

Previous records from Panama. Gore & Abele (1976).

Distribution. West Atlantic: Mexico, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Bahamas, E and S Lesser Antilles, Panama (Punta Galeta), Colombia and Venezuela (Gore & Abele 1976; Rodríguez et al. 2005; Poupin & Lemaitre 2014; Miranda & Mantelatto 2016; Diez & Lira 2017).

Ecology. Intertidal and shallow subtidal, known depth range: 0–1 m; in crevices of rocks and coral rubble, sometimes associated with macroalgae (Werding et al. 2003; Diez & Jover 2013).

Remarks. Neopisosoma angustifrons is easily recognisable among the western Atlantic members of the genus by the robust P1, without setae and covered by rounded granules. The species appears to be uncommon on the Caribbean coast of Panama, presently being known only from Punta Galeta (Gore & Abele 1976), although its presence in the Golfo de Urabá, eastern Colombia (Fig. 90A) suggests that it must be also present in suitable habitats around Portobelo, Isla Grande and in Guna Yala. The eastern Pacific sister species of N. angustifrons is presumably N. dohenyi Haig, 1960, which is also known from Panama (see below).

The colour pattern of N. angustifrons appears to be rather variable. The specimen from Guadeloupe illustrated by Poupin & Lemaitre (2014) has a dark orange-brown mottled carapace, brown-orange P1 with white fingertips and P2–P4 banded with creamy white. Most specimens from Saint Martin were white and marbled or spotted with chocolate brown or orange-brown (Figs. 19, 19), whereas the crabs from western Colombia were dark pink with darker brown and paler yellowish patches and white P1 fingertips (Fig. 90A).

Two other Caribbean species of Neopisosoma in all likelihood occur in Panama, but have yet to be collected there for confirmation. These are N. neglectum Werding, 1986 and N. curacaoense (Schmitt, 1924), both reported from the Golfo de Urabá, Colombia (Werding 1978, 1986), which is adjacent to the border with Guna Yala province of Panama (see Map in Fig. 1A). Therefore, both species are highly likely present in Panama (Table 1) and are illustrated below, using colour photographs of specimens collected in Saint Martin (Figs. 87A–D, 90B).