Endocommensal leucothoid amphipods are ecologically important in marine ecosystems worldwide. However, our understanding of the evolution and taxonomy of the group is confused. Although leucothoids typically occupy specialized niches, Leucothoe spinicarpa, the type species for the genus Leucothoe, has been reported from a wide variety of habitats. This study compared the taxonomy, ecology, and functional morphology of Caribbean commensal amphipods previously attributed to L. spinicarpa and incorporated new host and ecological information and new diagnostic characters. As a result 11 new leucothoid species are described from Southeast Florida, the Florida Keys, and the Western Caribbean Sea.
| Date of Award | Dec 1 2005 |
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| Original language | English |
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| Supervisor | James D. Thomas (Supervisor), Charles Messing (Advisor) & Richard W. Heard (Advisor) |
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