Rev. Acad. Canar. Cienc., Vol. XXVI, 27-3
1 (diciembre de 2014)
Jassa marmorata (HOLMES, 1905) AND
Monocorophium acherusicum (COSTA, 1853)
NEW AMPH1PODS (CRUSTACEA: AMPHIPODA)
TO THE CANARY ISLANDS
'*Riera, R., 'Ramos, E., 2 Herrera, R. & 3 Moro, L.
1 Centro de Investigaciones Medioambientales del Atlantico (CIMA SL)
Avda. Los Majuelos, 1 15, 38107 Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain.
2 Servicio de Biodiversidad. Viceconsejeria de Medio Ambiente del Gobierno de Canarias
Edificio de Servicios Multiples II (5
a planta). Agustin Millares Carlo, 18
35071 - Las Palmas, Gran Canaria, Canary Islands, Spain
3 Servicio de Biodiversidad, Viceconsejeria de Medio Ambiente del Gobierno de Canarias
Edif. Usos Multiples I, Av. Anaga n° 35, 38071, S/C de Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain
* Corresponding author: rodrigo@cimacanarias.com
RESUMEN
Se citan por primera vez las especies de anfipodos Jassa marmorata (Holmes, 1905)
y Monocorophium acherusicum (Costa, 1853) para el archipielago canario. Se aportan datos
de la fauna acompanante y de las caracteristicas de los puntos de muestreo donde fueron re-colectados.
Palabras clave: Amphipoda, Gammaridea, Jassa, Monocorophium, islas Canarias,
oceano Atlantico.
ABSTRACT
The amphipod species Jassa marmorata (Holmes, 1905) and Monocorophium acheru-sicum
(Costa, 1853) are first recorded for the Canarian archipelago. Accompanying fauna
data and information about the sampling sites where they were collected are provided.
Key words: Amphipoda, Gammaridea, Jassa, Monocorophium , Canary Islands, At-lantic
Ocean.
1. INTRODUCTION
Two crustacean species new to the Canary Islands, Jassa marmorata (Holmes, 1905)
and Monocorophium acherusicum (Costa, 1853) are recorded. Both species are considered na-tive
to the Atlantic Ocean and have been spread recently to other geographic areas, such as,
the Chilean and Australian coasts (PEREZ-SCHULTHEISS, 2009) where they are consid-
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ered invasive species. These species are probably introduced by travelling in the ballast wa-ters
of containerships.
The species Jassa marmorata was found in circalittoral seabeds, being a dominant
component of epifauna on an artificial substrate, i.e. ropes of a fish trap. Monocorophium
acherusicum was an accidental species collected from subtidal sandy bare bottoms that com-pete
with other crustacean and annelid species characterized by larger abundances.
2. MATERIAL AND METHODS
Sediment samples were collected by scuba divers, pushing into the sediment a 20 cm
inner diameter core with a hammer. Samples were fixed by 4% formaldehyde during 48 hours
and then, sieved in a 0.5 mm mesh size. Specimens were separated under a stereomicroscope
and preserved in 70° ethanol. Specimens were identified by means of a stereomicroscope
Nikon SMZ-800 and pictures were taken with an attached camera (EOS-500D).
The studied specimens were stored in the invertebrate collection of CIMA (Centro de
Investigaciones Medioambientales del Atlantico SL).
3. SYSTEMATICS
Order Amphipoda Latreille, 1816
Suborder Gammaridea Dana, 1852
Family Ischyroceridae Stebbing, 1899
Jassa marmorata (Holmes, 1905)
(Figure 1A)
Jassa marmorata Holmes, 1903: 289.
Jassa falcata Chevreux & Fage, 1925: 344.
Studied material: Tenerife, off Candelaria (coordinates: 367450E/3 134040N), 10 individuales (5 fe-males
and 5 males), I
s
' September 201 1. 150 m deep. The studied individuals were collected from loose
ropes of a fish trap covered by hydroids and filamentous algae.
Description: Fength 5,5 mm, whitish with distinct yellowish and brownish markings through-out
the body. Coxal plate 2 short and angular, posteriorly elongated in males. Head with a
dwarf lateral lobe, angular; eyes large and rounded. Antenna 1 robust with flagellar articles
not discernible at all, accessory flagellum very small. Antenna 2 slightly larger than antenna
1, rather robust in males; flagellum very short and flagellar articles poorly defined. Gnatho-pod
1 propodus oval with palm strongly oblique, delimited by small spines (2-3). Gnathopod
2 female larger than 1, propodus large and oval, with several long setae on the inner margin
serrate of the basis. Gnathopod 2 male very large, basis short with long setae on anterior mar-gin,
propodus elongate in larger specimens with highly developed proximal process. Uropods
I -2 outer ramus slightly shorter than inner. Uropod 3 inner ramus straight with hooked apical
spine on the outer ramus and several denticles (2-3).
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Accompanying fauna: The sampling station was clearly dominated by the present species.
Other species were scarce in terms ot individual abundance, such as, an unidentified lum-brinerid
polychaete, the cephalaspid Haminoea orteai Talavera, Murillo & Templado, 1987
and an unidentified brachiopod.
Distribution: North Atlantic Ocean, East Pacific Ocean (LOWRY et al. 2011).
Family Corophiidae Leach, 1814
Monocorophium acherusicum (Costa, 1853)
(Figure IB)
Corophium acheruisicum Costa, 1853, p. 170.
Monocorophium acherusicum Perez-Schultheiss, 2009, fig. 1
.
Studied material: Tenerife, Las Galletas (coordinates: 338336E/30984254N), 1 individual ( 1 female),
September 2005, 38 m. Maerl seabed with low content of organic matter (0.05%). Gran Canaria, Tara-jalillo
(coordinates: 4453 HE /3071048N), 1 individual (1 male), January 2009, 10 m. Seabed domi-nated
by very fine sands (39%) with 0.65% of organic matter.
Description: Length 2-4 mm, with brownish markings along the body. Head, rostrum very
short, sometimes minute; recessed posterior to lateral lobes of head. Antennae 1, peducunlar
segment 1 smooth, narrowing distally, 7-9 segmented hardly discernible, and flagellum slen-der.
Antennae 2 strongly pedifonn and flagellum short and scarcely setose. Gnathopod 1 with
dactyl exceeding palm by little. Gnathopod 2, carpus short, peropod with distinct postero-dis-tal
tip, dactyl with 2-3 posterior marginal teeth. Pereopods 3 and 4, basis broad, dactyl slen-der
and longher than segment 6. Uropod 1, rami short, each with 4-6 outer marginal spines.
Uropod 2 short, each rami with outer marginal spines. Telson short, broad with 3-4 pairs of
postero dorsal small spines.
Accompanying fauna: This species was accessory at both collection sites. In Tenerife, the
dominant species were the polychaete Apomiphis bilineata (86 ind.), followed by the sabel-lid
polychaete Paradialychone filicauda (18 ind.). In Gran Canaria, the sample was domi-nated
overwhelmingly by the tanaid Apseudes tcdpa (56 ind.) and the amphipod Ampelisca
brevicornis (35 ind), with other species well represented, such as the polychaete Rhynchos-pio
glutaea (12 ind).
Distribution: Atlantic Ocean, Pacific Ocean, Mediterranean, Australia (BOUSFIELD &
HOOVER 1997; DANIELS et al. 2009).
4. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
To the remaining staff of Centro de Investigaciones Medioambientales del Atlantico
(CIMA SL) for their help during field surveys and daily encouragement at the lab. To Dr.
Alan Myers (University College Cork, Ireland) for the taxonomic confirmation of the species
Monocorophium acherusicum.
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5. REFERENCES
BOUSFIELD, E.L. & P.M. HOOVER. 1997. The Amphipod superfamily Corophioidea on the
Pacific coast of North America. Part V. Family Corophiidae: Corophiinae, new subfamily.
Systematics and distributional ecology. Amphipacifica 2(3): 67-139.
DANIELS, L.C.D., J. MARK, C. HOLMES & J.G. WILSON. 2009. Paradoxostoma an-gliontm
(Crustacea: Ostracoda) and Monocorophium acherusicum (Crustacea: Amphi-poda),
new to Ireland from Malahide Marina, Co. Dublin. Irish Naturalists' Journal,
30(1): 32-34.
LOWRY, J„ M., COSTELLO & D. BELLAN-SANTINI. 2011. Jassa marmorata Holmes,
1905. In J. LOWRY. World Amphipoda Database. World Register of Marine Species. Re-trieved
February 6th
, 2012.
PEREZ-SCHULTHEISS, J. 2009. Nuevos registros de anfipodos corofideos (Crustacea: Am-phipoda:
Corophiidea) en el sur de Chile, con comentarios acerca de las invasion de es-pecies
exoticas marinas. Boletln de Biodiversidad de Chile 1(1): 24-30.
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Figure 1.- A. Jassa marmorata. Male, entire body (dorsal and lateral view) and gnathopod (inset).
B. Monocorophium acherusicum. Male, entire body (dorsal and lateral view) and gnathopod 2 (inset)
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