Synalpheus scaphoceris Coutière, 1910
Synalpheus scaphoceris is a snapping shrimp associated with live coral and coral rubble, and is fairly widespread throughout the Caribbean and West Atlantic.
Synalpheus scaphoceris was originally described as a subspecies (Synalpheus townsendi scaphoceris) by Coutiere (1910), and subsequently recognized as a distinct species (Dardeau 1986). See Salazar et al. (2005) for additional comments. Type locality: Dry Tortugas, Florida (Coutière, 1910), types stored at the National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution (USNM). Type: USNM 40019.
Associated with living and dead coral, (Porites and Madracis spp.; (Dardeau 1986), coral rubble (Duffy 1992), occasionally sponges (Macdonald et al. 2006).
Dardeau (1986) reported swimming larvae (zoeae).
Maximum body size (carapace length, or CL) of males is 4.8 mm; females, 4.9 mm (Dardeau 1986). Color: body with dense scattering of chromatophores on translucent orange background, stomach green, eggs greenish-yellow (Dardeau 1986).
Synalpheus townsendi scaphoceris (Coutiere 1910); ?Synalpheus townsendi (Pequegnat and Ray 1974); Synalpheus townsendi (Ray 1974).
Western Atlantic: Gulf of Mexico, Puerto Rico, Curacao (reported in Dardeau 1986); Florida (Coutiere 1910); Caribbean Panama (Duffy et al. 1992); Belize (Macdonald et al. 2006).