Amphipods (Crustacea: Gammaridea) in the northern sector of the Caribbean Sea: checklist, new reports and spatial distribution

Abstract

THE TAXONOMIC DIVERSITY, NEW RECORDS, AND SPATIAL DISTRIBUTION OF THE BENTHIC AMPHIPODS FROM A CORAL REEF IN THE NORTHERN SECTOR OF THE CARIBBEAN SEA WERE ANALYZED. A TOTAL OF 23 SPECIES, BELONGING TO 9 FAMILIES AND 7 SUPERFAMILIES WERE IDENTIFIED FROM DEPTHS RANGING FROM 25 TO 419 M. AMPELISCA VADORUM, AMPELISCA VERRILLI AND HAPLOOPS SP. ARE NEW RECORDS FOR THE AREA. THE AMPHIPOD ASSOCIATION WAS DOMINATED BY LEUCOTHOE SP., GRANDIDIERELLA SP., ERICTHONIUS SP., CHEVALIA SP., LEUCOTHOE SPINICARPA, AND ELASMOPUS RAPAX BASED ON ABUNDANCE AND FREQUENCY. THE OCCURRENCE OF CORAL RUBBLE DEPOSITED IN DEEPER WATERS BY TROPICAL STORMS HAS AN INFLUENCE ON THE DEPTH AND GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION, SPECIES RICHNESS, AND ABUNDANCE OF THE BENTHIC AMPHIPODS.