Crustacea , Hippolytidae ) from the State of Sergipe , northeast Brazil : Filling distribution gaps

This paper presents the first record of  Trachycaris restricta  (A. Milne-Edwards, 1878) from the State of Sergipe, filling a gap of occurrence of this species in the Brazilian northeast coast and compiles previous reports of this species from Brazil. The analyzed specimens were associated with algae and captured through daytime fishery hauls in two sampling stations at 30 m depth in March 2000.

offshore.The presence of macroalgae and carbonate bottoms in two small regions allowed the formation of a favorable habitat to T. restricta.
Seven specimens of T. restricta were found associated with macroalgae in an environment with gravelly sedimentary facies and large biomass of algae, corroborating the general information in the literature regarding its habitat.The specimens were identified according to Houthuis (1949) and Cardoso (2006).
According to Cardoso (2006), in 1949 Holthuis compared specimens of T. rugosa from the Canary Islands with specimens of Hyppolyte restrictus from Curacao (Antilles) and concluded that both species were actually only one, naming it Trachycaris restricta.However, Criales (1992) analyzed 19 mature females from the Western Atlantic and concluded that all of them, except for one specimen, possessed similar features to the description for T. rugosa.Thus, Criales (1992) concluded that the two species are valid, with T. restricta (Figure 2A) having as its main distinguishing features: presence of mandibular palp (Figure 2B); 3 spines on basal antennal peduncle (Figure 2C) and first maxilliped with unsegmented palp (Figure 2D), corroborating with the species in this paper.Trachycaris rugosa has no record for the Brazilian coast.
Order Decapoda Latreille, 1802 Infraorder Caridea Dana, 1852 Superfamily Alpheoidea Rafinesque, 1815 The family Hippolytidae Dana, 1852 is composed of 22 genera, in which the genus Trachycaris Calman, 1906 comprises only two species, Trachycaris rugosa (Bate, 1888) and T. restricta (A. Milne-Edwards, 1878).The first species occurs in the Western Atlantic and the second species in the Eastern Atlantic.Several studies have indicated the occurrence of T. restricta in the Brazilian coast (Ortmann 1893;Coelho and Araújo Ramos 1972;Coelho et al. 1978Coelho et al. , 1980;;Christoffersen 1979;Fausto Filho 1980;Ramos-Porto 1980;Ramos-Porto and Coelho 1991/93;Cardoso 2006) from the states of Amapá to Espírito Santo and apparently along the whole?northeast coast of Brazil.However, although Coelho et al. (1978) stated that T. restricta is a "continuous tropical" species presenting a continuous distribution from the Antilles to the northeast of Brazil (including Espírito Santo State), no publication mentions the capture of this species in the state of Sergipe.The specimens analyzed herein were collected in a coastal oceanographic campaign that monitored the impact of oil platforms off the coast of Sergipe and are deposited in the Zoological Collection, Benthos Coastal Laboratory, Sergipe Federal University (voucher numbers UFS-CRU 0012 and UFS-CRU 0013).The specimens were captured during daytime in March 2000 (dry season), in bottom trawls of 15 minutes at two sampling stations on the continental shelf at 30 m depth (Figure 1).In Sergipe, the continental shelf 's bottom sediments are influenced by the presence of the São Francisco River to the north and also by four other estuarine complexes, besides two submarine canyons (São Francisco and Japaratuba) that are situated less than 12 km away from the coastline.Although the coast of Sergipe presents characteristics that suggest a muddy platform, it possesses a sedimentary mosaic with predominance of terrigenous muds at the coastal region and sands, gravels and carbonate muds toward Diagnosis: Carapace tuberculate, with teeth and tuffs of setae; rostrum laterally flattened, as long as high, dorsal margin with 8-13 teeth, distal margin with 3-6 small teeth, lower margin with 3 broad teeth, dorsal carina with 5-7 teeth; antennal spine strong and acute, 2-3 small teeth on anterolateral angle.Stylocerite broad ending in 2 processes, proximal one acute and distal rounded, with strong teeth.Scaphocerite with small distal tooth, not overreaching blade.
Water temperature: 26°C; salinity: 34.7‰; bottom sedi ment: coarse sand and gravel; organic matter content: 5.2%; calcium carbonate content: 38.9%.This is the first record of T. restricta for the state of Sergipe, confirming the northeast coastal distribution of T. restricta, as well as its association with carbonate environments and macroalgae.support through the agreement FAPESE/UFS 25/99 and the contract PETROBRAS/FAPESE 120.2.010.99-1.We would like to thank the biologist Luana Mendonça for taking and processing the photographs.Cardoso, I. 2006. Caridea (Crustacea, Decapoda)

Literature Cited
This paper presents the first record of Trachycaris restricta (A.Milne-Edwards, 1878) from the State of Sergipe, filling a gap of occurrence of this species in the Brazilian northeast coast and compiles previous reports of this species from Brazil.The analyzed specimens were associated with algae and captured through daytime fishery hauls in two sampling stations at 30 m depth in March 2000.