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New Mexico Rare Arthropod Resource

The New Mexico Rare Arthropod Resource

 
Stygobromus curroae (Curro's Amphipod)  


Taxonomy

  • Class: MALACOSTRACA
  • Order: CRUSTACEA
  • Family: CRANGONYCTIDAE
  • Genus: Stygobromus
  • Scientific Name: Stygobromus curroae Wang and Holsinger, 2001
  • Common Name: Curro's Amphipod
  • Synonyms:

Taxonomic Name Source


ITIS. 2024. Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS). Available at: https://www.itis.gov/.

No Photo Available

Species Occurrence Data From: Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF)

Agency Conservation Status



  • SGCN
  • NMDGF:
  • USFWS:
  • BLM:
  • USFS:
  • IUCN Red List: Not Evaluated
  • Nature Serve Global: G1
  • NHNM State: SNR
  • NM Endemic YES


Agency Conservation Status



SGCN NMDGF USFWS BLM Status USFS IUCN
Red List		 Nature Serve
Global		 NHNM State NM Endemic
Not Evaluated G1 SNR YES


Description

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Curro's Amphipod (Stygobromus curroae) is a small groundwater amphipod; the largest females and males are 4.8 mm and 4.5 mm, respectively. It is similar in form to S. holsingeri and S. arizonensis, but it can be distinguished by the following characteristics: maxillae one and two have fewer hairs on the inner plates; the palm of the propod of gnathopod one has more spine teeth; coxal plates three and four have more hairs; it has a relatively long distally expanded telson with 18-20 notched spines and a rather deep notch; uropods one and two have thicker longer spines; and it has tiny, simple, paired lateral sternal gills on pereonites six and seven (Wang and Holsinger 2001).

Habitat and Ecology

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Like most other member of the suborder Grammaridea, this species is found in a subterranean environment; it was discovered in hyporheic groundwater, approximately 30 cm beneath Gallina Creek, where it was sampled with PVC pipe with a pump (Wang and Holsinger 2001). Restriction to groundwaters likely inhibits dispersal abilities, resulting in extreme isolation. Little else is known about the ecology of this species.

Geographic Range

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Curro's Amphipod (Stygobromus curroae) is endemic to New Mexico, where is is known only from the type locality, in groundwater beneath Gallinas Creek, near Taos, in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains (Wang and Holsinger 2001).

Conservation Considerations

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There are no conservation measures in place for this species. Though it has been petitioned for listing under the United States Endangered Species Act (ESA) (Rosmarino and Tutchton 2007), the US Fish and Wildlife Service found the petition lacked substantial scientific information to warrant listing (USFWS 2009). Therefore, the species is not currently protected under the ESA. Research is needed to better understand the distribution, population size and trend, habitats and ecology, and threats to this narrowly endemic species.

Threats

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The threats to this species are not known, as the habitat and ecology are not well understood. As the species is restricted to groundwater, any potential drawdown of the aquifer, as a result of increasing incidence and severity of drought due to climate change, for example, may be problematic. In addition, many species of Stygobromus are used as biological indicators of water quality and therefore, may be sensitive to groundwater pollution (Wang and Holsinger 2001).

Population

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Nothing is known about the population size and trend of this species. It is unclear whether it has been seen since the type specimen was collected in 1994 (Wang and Holsinger 2001).

References

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