A total of 39 species of Stomatopoda were previously reported from marine and estuarine habitats of Brazilian waters. The present checklist is based on material deposited in the crustacean collection of Museu de Oceanografia Petrônio Alves Coelho, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, city of Recife, Brazil (MOUFPE). The collection, deriving primarily from the northern and northeastern coast of Brazil, includes 667 samples and 1.301 specimens, distributed in four superfamilies, seven families, 14 genera and 33 species, including one holotype and two paratype. Apparent distribution gaps for five-species were filled. Two Brazilian endemic species had their southern geographical ranges increased (Neogonodactylus moraisi (Fausto Filho & Lemos de Castro, 1973) and Nannosquilla dacostai Manning, 1970) and one was recorded for the first time from northeast Brazilian waters [Alima neptuni (Linnaeus, 1768)]. There are now 42 species of Stomatopoda recorded from the Brazilian coast.

The fiddler crabs Uca panacea Novak & Salmon, 1974 and Uca pugilator (Bosc, 1802) are closely related North American species that are sympatric along the north coast of Gulf of Mexico. Since U. panacea was described, there has been confusion in the identification these two species. Morphological differences between these two fiddlers have been pointed out in recent years, mainly regarding the presence of a pigment spot and granulations on the dorsal margin of carapace in U. pugilator. We report herein some intraspecific differences between the two species that we believe to be useful in avoiding misidentification among preserved specimens of these two fiddler crabs, such as the absence of the pigment spot in U. pugilator and the presence of the pigment spot and granulations on dorsal margin of carapace in U. panacea as well. Our results have also revealed that 65% of the U. pugilator specimens examined possess a gape pile in the major chela, which is not a reliable diagnostic character, but could be useful when present. The gonopods of both species were analyzed using SEM, confirming the previous statement that the sub-terminal thumb is shorter in U. panacea than in U. pugilator. Finally, as important morphological characters are missing in the original description of U. panacea, a redescription of this species is also provided.

Neste trabalho é apresentada a fauna de crustáceos decápodos associados a esponjas coletadas ao largo da cidade de Fortaleza, Ceará, Brasil. As esponjas foram obtidas através de mergulho autônomo, realizado no Parque Estadual Marinho " Pedra da Risca do Meio" . No laboratório, os poríferos foram identificados e os crustáceos retirados e etiquetados de acordo com a esponja em que foram encontrados. Nove espécies de esponjas foram coletadas e 14 espécies de crustáceos identificadas. Os Crustáceos da família Alpheidae foram os mais representativos, com seis espécies, seguidos pelos decápodos das famílias Mithracidae e Porcellanidae, com duas espécies e Palaemonidae, Pilumnidae, Pseudorhombilidae e Xanthidae, com uma espécie. A partir do presente registro, as espécies Nanoplax xanthiformis (A. Milne Edwards, 1880), Synalpheus hemphilli Coutière, 1909, S. minus (Say, 1818), S. sanctithomae Coutière, 1909 e Petrolisthes rosariensis Werding, 1978 têm sua distribuição aumentada no litoral brasileiro.

The aim of this article was to report on the sponge-dwelling crustaceans collected through scuba diving at " Parque Estadual Marinho Pedra da Risca do Meio" Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil. Nine species of sponges were collected and fourteen crustaceans were identified. The Alpheidae family was the most abundant with six species, followed by the families Mithracidae and Porcellanidae with two species and Palaemonidae, Pilumnidae, Pseudorhombilidae and Xanthidae with one species. The species Nanoplax xanthiformis (A. Milne Edwards, 1880), Synalpheus hemphilli Coutière, 1909, S. minus (Say, 1818), S. sanctithomae Coutière, 1909 and Petrolisthes rosariensis Werding, 1978 have their distribution expanded in the brazilian coast.

Este trabalho registra pela primeira vez a ocorrência, para o litoral do Estado do Ceará, do pisídeo anfi-atlântico Apiomithrax violaceus (A. Milne Edwards, 1868) e do dromiídeo atlântico ocidental Hypoconcha arcuata Stimpson, 1858. A. violaceus foi coletado em agosto de 2004 na praia da Pedra Rachada, município de Paracuru (03º25'S, 39º04'W), enquanto que H. arcuata foi coletada na plataforma continental, ao largo da cidade de Fortaleza (03º41'S, 38º32'W). O registro de A. violaceus amplia a distribuição setentrional dessa espécie na costa atlântica da América do Sul. Já a ocorrência de H. arcuata preenche um dos vazios distribucionais existentes para esse braquiúro na costa do Brasil.

Occurrence of the brachyuran crabs Apiomithrax violaceus (A. Milne Edwards, 1868) (Crustacea, Decapoda, Pisidae) and Hypoconcha arcuata Stimpson, 1858 (Crustacea, Decapoda, Dromiidae) is reported for the coast of Ceará, Brazil northeast, for the first time. A. violaceus was collected in August 2004 at Pedra Rachada beach, Paracuru, Ceará (03º25'S, 39º04'W), while H. arcuata was collected on the continental shelf, off Fortaleza city (03º41'S, 38º32'W). With the present record, the geographic range of A. violaceus, an amphi-Atlantic species, is extended northward in the western Atlantic. This species seems to be rare in northeastern, Brazil. Occurrence of H. arcuata in Ceará fills one of the gaps in the geographic ranges known for this species along Brazilian coast.