Decapod and stomatopod crustaceans from Santo Aleixo Island, state of Pernambuco, Brazil

Abstract

Santo Aleixo Island (08°36’40,15”S, 35°01’22,92”W) is the only coastal island of the state of Pernambuco in northeastern Brazil. It is located on the southern coast, about 2 km from the mouth of the Serinhaém River. The area is still in a good state of preservation, containing a wide diversity of coastal habitats such as sandy beaches, sandstone reefs, rocky shores, and a tiny area of mangroves, supporting high species richness. The objective of this contribution was to survey the decapod and stomatopod crustacean fauna of Santo Aleixo Island. Qualitative sampling was carried out at 8 stations, between November 2005 and April 2007. The specimens were collected by hand during low spring tide, by snorkeling or with artisanal traps; additional material was caught by trawling in the neighborhood of the study area. The material was deposited in the carcinological collection of the Departamento de Oceanografia, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil. A total of 68 species were collected. Stomatopods were represented by the squillid Alima hildebrandi (Schmitt, 1940) and the gonodactylids Neogonodactylus bredini (Manning, 1969), N. lacunatus (Manning, 1966), and N. torus (Manning, 1969). Decapods were represented by 64 species distributed in 32 families. The shrimp Thor manningi Chace, 1972 (Caridea, Hippolytidae) is reorded for the first time from the coast of Pernambuco. The zoogeographic affinities of the species are brielly discussed.