Macromaxillocarididae, a new family of stenopodidean shrimp from an anchialine cave in the Bahamas, with the description of Macromaxillocaris bahamaensis, N. gen., N. sp.
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A new family of stenopodidean shrimp, Macromaxillocarididae, is described from an anchialine cave in Great Guana Cay, Exuma Cays, Bahamas. Macromaxillocaris bahamaensis new genus, new species, is the sole representative of the family. The new taxon clearly belongs to the infraorder Stenopodidea. However, the presence of a massive third maxilliped, pereiopods that increase in length posteriorly, an epistome with two fang-like projections, and a reduced branchial formula distinguish the new family from the rest of the taxa in the infraorder. Moreover, a bifid palp of the first maxilla and an unsegmented palp of the first maxilliped, which are characters not present in the other two known families in the infraorder, support the separate status of the new family. Diagnostic characters of both, the Stenopodidae and Spongicolidae, are found in M. bahamaensis also, being the new taxon morphologically more similar to the Stenopodidae. Diagnoses for the infraorder and the three families, and a key to the families are presented.
