Alpheidae

The genus Fenneralpheus Felder and Manning, 1986


        The genus Fenneralpheus contains two species, one of them still awaiting formal description.

        Fenneralpheus chacei Felder and Manning, 1986, the type species.
        Fenneralpheus n. sp. 1 Anker et al., in prep.

      Fenneralpheus may be separated from other alpheid genera by the combination of following characters:

  1. Frontal margin of carapace without rostrum or orbital teeth; eyes concealed in dorsal view.

  2. Presence of strap-like epipods (mastigobranchs) on coxae of the third maxilliped and first to fourth pereiopods.

  3. Unequal and asymmetrical enlarged chelipeds capable of flexion (folding); major cheliped with characteristic tooth armature on fingers, snapping mechanism absent.

  4. Second pereiopod with five-segmented carpus.

  5. Pterygostomial angle produced anteriorly.

  6. Sixth abdominal somite (pleomere) with articulated plate.

  7. Third maxilliped with acutely produced lateral plate.

  8. Uropodal diaeresis (transverse suture) with large mesial tooth.

        Fenneralpheus is presently known only from the western Atlantic, being most closely related to Leptalpheus s. lat., differing from this genus mainly by the anteriorly produced pterygostomial angle and the more robust chelipeds, with fingers bearing a very peculiar armature consisting of teeth arranged as rounded, cuspate, obliquely oriented ridges.