Elasmopus balkomanus, a New Species from the Florida Keys (Crustacea, Amphipoda)

Elasmopus balkomanus is described from Looe Key Reef in the Florida Keys. The species is very close to the eastern Pacific E. antennatus but in the male has equally extending rami on uropod 3, only 2 (versus 4-6) spines on each lobe of the tel son in adults, a lateral ridge on the propodus of male gnathopod 2 and very heavily armed flagella of antenna 2 in the male. This species lives in a short-tufted algal turf community on coral rubble but apparently is rare because it has only been collected once in 10 years of sampling in the Florida Keys