A new species of the amphipod family Ampithoidae Stebbing, 1899 is described from the northeastern Brazilian waters. The new described taxon is grouped in the genus Cymadusa Savigny, 1816, since it presents all the diagnostic characteristics of the genus. The examined material was collected by scuba diving in the Rocas Atoll, off Rio Grande do Norte state coast, Camamu Bay and Todos os Santos Bay, Bahia state. The new species described here is close to C. filosa Savigny, 1816, type species of the genus, by presenting anterior margin of gnathopod 1 poorly setose, male gnathopod 2 densely setose, with palmar corner not defined by a spine and dactylus subequal in length to palm, being considered part of the C. filosa complex. Among the species of this complex, the one which most resembles to the new taxon is C. imbroglio Rabindranath, 1972, which is distinguished by the absence of both the trapezoid process in the palm and spine at the palmar corner in the gnathopod 2. This is the second species of the genus Cymadusa recorded from Brazilian waters.