PEREZ FARFANTE: SPERMATOPHORES OF AMERICAN WHITE SHRIMPS 



mesially, each with its marginal rib embracing the 

 sperm mass protruding through the corresponding 

 sac; the adjacent membranous portions cover each 

 mass laterally and from there extend tightly at- 

 tached to sternite XIII. 



From the bases of the wings posteriorly, the 

 lateral portions of the ventral walls together with 

 the lateral walls are turned mesially in a spiral 

 thus reducing the lumen of the sacs; at the same 

 time, each blade comes to occupy a position deep 

 within a fold so that the dorsomesial part of the 

 blade abuts against the respective sac, and the 

 other part, together with its flap, projects 

 somewhat laterally. Caudally, the geminate body 

 reaches the first pleonic sternite, and the thick 

 portions of the lateral walls are turned sharply 

 anterolaterad resulting in the elevation of paired 

 ridges. These are continuous with the flanges 

 which posteriorly extend laterally from the 

 geminate body and either embrace or enfold the 

 dorsal plates. These plates are attached in such a 

 way that their smaller anterior parts rest against 

 the coxal plates of the fifth pereopods, and their 

 broad posterior parts (extending across the 

 corresponding flange) lie almost entirely on the 

 first pleonic sternite. Finally, the glutinous 

 material, resting along the anterior borders of the 

 flanges, become almost perpendicular to the 

 median body. 



As the compound spermatophore is anchored to 

 the female, gelatinous substance extends over the 

 coxae of the third pereopods and under the wings, 

 penetrates the area between the coxal plates of 

 those pereopods and covers the posterior portion of 

 sternite XII. 



In Penaeus stylirostris the spermatozoa are ap- 

 parently released by the rupture of the attached 

 spermatophore. By some unknown means, the 

 geminate body with adjoining flanges breaks 

 away, leaving the wings, together with paired 

 rounded masses of sperm surrounded by gela- 

 tinous substance, on the female. It seems that 

 when the spermatophores are expelled, the sper- 

 matozoa and the gelatinous substance, which were 

 previously within the sacs, are forced into, and 

 then break through, the anterolateral bulges, 

 finally becoming lodged in the thelycal concavities 

 of sternite XIII. In the extruded spermatophores 

 that I have examined-removed from impregnated 

 females or obtained by forcing their expulsion 

 from the terminal ampullae of males-the sacs re- 



tained but little sperm. The wings are torn from 

 the geminate body along the line of union between 

 their mesial extensions and the corresponding 

 ventral wall, and the break continues across the 

 lateral wall to the posterior ridge of the respective 

 wing. The rupture does not occur along definite 

 sutures, but it follows the pattern described. Once 

 the geminate body breaks away, the spermatozoa 

 are exposed to the surrounding water, in close 

 proximity to the female gonopores. 



On one of the females examined there was an 

 entire spermatophore superimposed upon the 

 remains of another, the latter represented by a 

 pair of wings and remnants of a sperm mass. This 

 indicates that the animal had copulated twice 

 within a short period of time. 



Material 



MEXICO. 1 d- 2 9 [impregnated], USNM, off 

 Guaymas, Sonora, 8 April 1940, Capt. Corona.- 2 $ 

 [impregnated], USNM, off Guaymas, Sonora, 9 

 April 1940, E. F. Ricketts.- 2 <? 2 9, INIBP, Bahia de 

 Altata, Sinaloa, 14 April 1959, commercial 

 catches.- 4 cf 3 9, USNM, between Monte Alto and 

 San Jose, Chiapas, 25 m, 8 August 1970, D. 

 Palacios. 



COSTA RICA. 3 9 [impregnated], USNM, 

 Parrita, SE of Puntarenas, 27 m, 4 July 1974, B. R. 

 Drummond.- 1$ [impregnated], USNM, off Parri- 

 ta, 11 m, 8 March 1975, B. R. Drummond. 2? 

 [impregnated], USNM, off Parrita, 18 m, 8 March 

 1975, B. R. Drummond. 5$, [impregnated], USNM, 

 off mouth Rib Coronado, 16 m, 10 March 1975, 

 Maria del Pilar. 



PANAMA. 4<?99, USNM, off Panamd Prov., 

 12-24 m, 16 February 1973, Patricia.- 14 c? 19, 

 USNM, 4.5-7.5 m, of Juan Diaz, 26 February 1973.- 

 ecf, USNM, off Panama Prov., 5 March 1973.- 4 9 

 [impregnated], USNM, off Panama Prov., 6 March 

 1973, Patricia.- 1^39, USNM, Isla Gorgona, 1 m, 

 March 1973, fishermen. 



ECUADOR. 1 d- 19, USNM, off Playas, 3 

 December 1963, San Andres.- 1<?, USNM, 

 Ensenada de Valdivia, December 1934, S. Camino. 



PERU. 2 cf 2 9, USNM, off Puerto Pizarro, 11 

 May 1941. 



Species Range 



Punta Abreojos, Territorio de Baja California, 

 and Gulf of California, Mexico, to Tumbes, Peru. 



475 



