Pseudopontonides principis

Pseudopontonides principis (Criales, 1980)

(Fig. 71, video 18)

Neopontonides principis Criales, 1980: 75 (Bonaire, Curaçao).

Pseudopontonides principis — Heard 1986: 481 (Bonaire, Curaçao); Snijders & Fransen 2010: 7 (Curaçao).

Material examined. Curaçao: RMNH.CRUS.D.32017: ovigerous female holotype pocl. 3.3 mm; Oostpunt, 3.vii.1977, depth 18 m, on Stichopathes gracilis, collected by M.M. Criales. RMNH.CRUS.D.32688: 1 ovigerous female paratype, pocl. 3.0 mm; 1 male paratype pocl. 1.8 mm; Oostpunt, 3.vii.1977, depth 18 m, on S. gracilis, collected by M.M. Criales. RMNH.CRUS.D.51637: 1 specimen; stn CUR.04, Piscaderabaai, west side, 12°07′21.4″N 68°58′10.5″W, 11.v.2005, depth 21.5 m, on S. luetkeni, collected by N. Snijders (fcn. g065). RMNH.CRUS. D.51636: 1 specimen; stn CUR.05, Marie Pampoen /Carpile, 12°5′42.1″N 68°54′43.0″W, 09.v.2005, depth 24.6 m, on S. luetkeni, collected by N. Snijders (fcn. g055). RMNH.CRUS.D.51638: 1 specimen; Fuikbaai, 12°03′1.6″N 68°50′5.2″W, 19.v.2005, depth 28.7 m, on Antipathes sp., collected by N. Snijders (fcn. g074). RMNH.CRUS. D.58314: 1 specimen; stn COA.01, Hilton Reef, 12°07′18.44″N 68°58′10.23″W, 31.x.2013, depth 31 m, scuba diving, on S. luetkeni Brook, 1889, collected by B.T. Reijnen (photo COA.01 036–045). RMNH.CRUS.D.58315: 2 specimens; stn COA.03, W Piscadera Baai, 12°07′21.90″N 68°58′13.54″W, 02.xi.2013, depth 35 m, scuba diving, on S. luetkeni Brook, 1889, collected by S.E.T. van der Meij (photo COA.03 058–068). RMNH.CRUS.D.58316 1 specimen; stn COA.03, W Piscadera Baai, 12°07′21.90″N 68°58′13.54″W, 02.xi.2013, depth 35 m, scuba diving, on S. luetkeni Brook, 1889, collected by B.T. Reijnen (photo COA.03 069–080). RMNH.CRUS.D.58317: 7 specimens; stn COA.14, Playa Boka Sami, 12°08′51.40″N 68°59′55.50″W, 05.xi.2013, depth 37 m, scuba diving, on S. luetkeni Brook, 1889, collected by S.E.T. van der Meij (photo COA.14 096–103). RMNH.CRUS.D.58318: 1 specimen; stn COA.21, Marie Pampoen, 12°05′26.74″N 68°54′17.84″W, 05.xi.2013, depth 35 m, scuba diving, on S. luetkeni Brook, 1889, collected by B.T. Reijnen (photo COA.21 019–032, 039, 040). RMNH.CRUS.D.58319: 1 non ovigerous female, pocl. 1.9 mm; stn CF09A-1, Hilton Reef, 9.vi.2017, depth 22 m, scuba diving, on S. luetkeni Brook, 1889, collected by C.H.J.M. Fransen (video 18). RMNH.CRUS.D.58320: 1 non ovigerous female, pocl. 2.5 mm; stn CF12A-1, Marie Pampoen, depth 25 m, scuba diving, on S. luetkeni Brook, 1889, collected by C.H.J.M. Fransen (video 18). OUMNH.ZC.2019-06-33: 9 ovigerous females, pocl. 1.8–.2.5 mm; Sun Reef, 12°8′21.12″N 68°59′53.1594″W, depth 7 m, 15.ii.2015, from A. caribbeana, leg. P. Wirtz & K. Wittmann (fcn. 3). OUMNH.ZC.2019-06-34: 4 females, pocl. 1.6–2.8 mm; Sun Reef, 12°8′21.12″N 68°59′53.1594″W, depth 28 m, 16.ii.2015, from Stichopathes sp., leg. P. Wirtz & K. Wittmann (fcn. 6). OUMNH.ZC.2019-06-35: 16 specimens including ovigerous females, pocl. 1.1–1.4 mm; Sun Reef, 12°8′21.12″N 68°59′53.1594″W, depth 12 m, 17.ii.2015, from Pseudoplexaura sp., leg. P. Wirtz & K. Wittmann (fcn. 8). OUMNH.ZC.2019-06-36: 3 females, pocl. 1.1–2.1 mm; Snake Bay, about 300 m east of Sun Reef, depth 30 m, 17.ii.2015, from A. caribbeana, leg. P. Wirtz & K. Wittmann (fcn. 10). OUMNH.ZC.2019-06-37: 7 ovigerous females, pocl. 1.2–1.6 m; Vaersenbaai (= Kokomo Beach), 12°9′37.8″N 69°0′20.52″W, depth 39 m, 23.ii.2015, from S. gracilis, leg. P. Wirtz & K. Wittmann (fcn. 25). Bonaire: RMNH.CRUS.D.57932: 1 specimen; stn BON.04, Alice in Wonderland, 12°05.993′N 068°17.118′W, 24.x.2019, depth 30 m, scuba diving, on S. luetkeni Brook, 1889, collected by C.H.J.M. Fransen (video 18). RMNH. CRUS.D.57938: 1 specimen; stn BON.19, Hilma Hooker, 12°06.271′N 068°17.291′W, 30.x.2019, depth 30 m, scuba diving, on S. luetkeni Brook, 1889, collected by C.H.J.M. Fransen (video 18). Stn BON.44, Klein Bonaire, South Bay, 12°09.001′N 068°19.234′W, 08.xi.2019, depth 20 m, scuba diving, on S. luetkeni Brook, 1889, C.H.J.M. Fransen (video 18), not collected. RMNH.CRUS.D.58321: 2 specimens; Bachelor’s Beach (Fondu Di Kalki), 12°07.522′N 068°17.233′W, 01.xi.2019, depth 21–26 m, on brown whip coral, collected by Peter Wirtz (fcn. 1). RMNH.CRUS.D.58322: 1 ovigerous female, 1 female, 1 male; Bachelor′s Beach (Fondu Di Kalki), 12°07.522′N 068°17.233′W, 02.xi.2019, depth 21–27 m, on brown whip coral, collected by Peter Wirtz (fcn. 2). RMNH.CRUS. D. 58323: 1 ovigerous female, pocl. 1.9 mm; 1 female, pocl. 1.5 mm; 2 males, pocl. 1.4 and 1.5 mm; Something Special (Pali Grande), 12°09.696′N 068°17.016′W, 6.xi.2019, depth unknown, scuba diving, collected by Peter Wirtz (fcn. 10) (photo).

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Ecology. Usually associated with Antipatharia, commonly on Stichopathes gracilis (Criales 1980; Snijders & Fransen 2010) and S. luetkeni (cf. Snijders & Fransen 2010); Tanacetipathes thamnea (Warner, 1981), T. tanacetum (Pourtalès, 1880), and Phanopathes expansa (Opresko & Cairns, 1992) (see Wicksten et al. 2014); Cirrhipathes ? secchini Echeverria, 2002 (Wirtz et al. 2009). Also recorded from Virgularia sp. (Heard, 1986). Photographs (Fig. 71) show specimens with different colour patterns on differently coloured hosts. The species is herein recorded for the first time from Antipathes caribbeana Opresko, 1996, and Pseudoplexaura sp.

Distribution. Recorded from scattered locations in the tropical western Atlantic: Gulf of Mexico (Heard 1986; Wicksten et al. 2014); Puerto Rico (Heard 1986); Bahamas (Debelius 1999); Espírito Santo, Brazil (Wirtz et al. 2009); in depths of 5– 42 m. Previous records from Curaçao by Criales (1980), Heard (1986) and Snijders & Fransen (2010) and from Bonaire by Heard (1986) and Snijders & Fransen (2010).