New records of Erichsonella attenuata (Isopoda: Valvifera: Idoteidae)in the Gulf of Mexico

Abstract

Erichsonella attenuata is an isopod species distributed in the Western Atlantic region of the Gulf of Mexico and is associated with sea-grass beds composed of Ruppia maritima, Halodule wrightii and Thalassia testudinum. In the Gulf of Mexico, this isopod species is found only along the USA coasts, in Texas and Florida. The aim of this work is to report, for the first time, the presence of E. attenuata along Mexican coasts, particularly in the Tamiahua and Términos lagoons in the states of Veracruz and Campeche, respectively. These are the most southern records for the Gulf of Mexico, showing that this species expands its coverage virtually to the entire coast of the Gulf of Mexico. The specimens were deposited in the Colección Nacional de Crustáceos, Instituto de Biología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México.