Examining the Parvorder Amphilochidira with Emphasis on Leucothoidae (Crustacea: Amphipoda) of Bocas del Toro, Panama
Faculty Mentor(s) Name(s)
Kristine White
Abstract
Amphipod crustaceans are ecologically important in marine habitats worldwide, yet their diversity is poorly documented. They are an important food source and play valuable roles in nutrient cycling. Amphipods belonging to parvorder Amphilochidira comprise greater than 1135 species in 24 families worldwide. Some live amongst groups of algae or in proximity to sessile invertebrate hosts. Amphipods of the family Leucothoidae are known to be endocommensals in sponges, which help to provide nutrition, protection, and reproductive spaces. Many act as deposit or suspension feeders or even predators, playing an important role in various food webs of their ecosystems. They often play an essential role in the diets of different fish, and many amphipods act as intermediate hosts for parasites they may later target a definitive host that is a species of economic importance. Prior to this study, 11 species were documented from Bocas del Toro, Panama; yet collections from 2005, 2021, and 2023 revealed 20 species in the parvorder. The diversity of Amphilochidira is discussed and the host associations of amphipods in the family Leucothoidae are described.
Start Date
27-3-2024 9:00 AM
End Date
27-3-2024 9:50 AM
Location
Magnolia Ballroom
Examining the Parvorder Amphilochidira with Emphasis on Leucothoidae (Crustacea: Amphipoda) of Bocas del Toro, Panama
Magnolia Ballroom
Amphipod crustaceans are ecologically important in marine habitats worldwide, yet their diversity is poorly documented. They are an important food source and play valuable roles in nutrient cycling. Amphipods belonging to parvorder Amphilochidira comprise greater than 1135 species in 24 families worldwide. Some live amongst groups of algae or in proximity to sessile invertebrate hosts. Amphipods of the family Leucothoidae are known to be endocommensals in sponges, which help to provide nutrition, protection, and reproductive spaces. Many act as deposit or suspension feeders or even predators, playing an important role in various food webs of their ecosystems. They often play an essential role in the diets of different fish, and many amphipods act as intermediate hosts for parasites they may later target a definitive host that is a species of economic importance. Prior to this study, 11 species were documented from Bocas del Toro, Panama; yet collections from 2005, 2021, and 2023 revealed 20 species in the parvorder. The diversity of Amphilochidira is discussed and the host associations of amphipods in the family Leucothoidae are described.