Published online by Cambridge University Press: 19 September 2008
Characteristics of the second gnathopod are traditionally used to distinguish between species of caprellid amphipods. However, these distinctions are often subjective and can be variable within a species. Geometric morphometrics were used to quantitatively assess shape variation of the second gnathopod propodus of three species of caprellids in North America, including the non-native Caprella mutica. Gnathopod shapes of C. mutica specimens from different latitudes revealed distinct morphologies; the factors responsible for the shape variations are unknown. Allometric change of propodus shape was observed in C. mutica. Larger individuals showed a wide array of possible propodus morphologies. Despite this variability, there were clear differences between large specimens of C. mutica and two species native to North America: C. alaskana and C. kennerlyi. The use of geometric morphometrics and the thin-plate spline method can serve to both complement descriptions using traditional keys and aid in identification of non-native species in novel geographical regions.