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i8S3- Metopograpsus oceanicus H. Milne-Edwards. Ann. Sc. Nat. (3) t. 20, p. 166. 



[865. Metopograpsus oceanicus Heller. Reise "Novara", Crust., p. 44. 



1883. Metopograpsus oceanicus de Man. Notes Leiden Mus., v. 5, p. 158. 



1888. Metopograpsus oceanicus de Man. Arch. Naturgesch., Jahrg. 53, 1., p. 364. 



1894. Metopograpsus oceanicus Ortmann. Denkschr. med.-naturw. Gesellsch. Jena, Bd 8, p. 55. 



1899. Metopograpsus oceanicus Nobili. Ann. mus. civ. stor. nat. Genova (2) t. 20, p. 265. 



1900. Metopograpsus oceanicus Lanchester. Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1900, p. 755. 



1902. Metopograpsus oceanicus de Man. Abhandl. Senckenb. Gesellsch., Bd 25, Heft 3, p. 503. 



Stat. 16. Kangeang Island, east of Madura. 1 9 juv. 



Stat. 47. Bay of Bima, Surhbawa. 1 rf juv., with parasitic Isopod in left branchial cavity. 



Stat. 86. Dongala, west coast of Celebes. 2 rf juv., 3 C (i juv., 1 with eggs). 



Stat. 115. Bay of Kwandang, north coast of Celebes. 1 rf juv. 



Stat. 163. Seget, west coast New Guinea. I rf. 



Lanchester supposes Pachygrapsus transversus (Gibbes) to be a variety of Metopo- 

 grapsus oceanicus (not of M. niessor as Walker l ) had presumed some years before) on account 

 of -the inner orbital lobe being reduced in such a way as to make the antenna extend freely 

 into the orbit. It is true, that the acute orbital lobe in some specimens leaves a rather large 

 distance between the tip of the lobe and the rounded external angle of the front but yet the 

 antenna does never enter the orbit, neither in my specimens nor in those examined by de Man, 

 for the upper margin of the lobe is always in contact with the front along a large distance. 

 Besides, as far as I can see, M. oceanicus grows to a much larger size and never presents 

 the characteristic transverse ridges on the carapace, so conspicuous in P. transverstts. 



With M. quadridentatus Stimpson the present species shares the presence of an epibranchial 

 tooth behind the external orbital angle; the differences between both species have been dis- 

 cussed by de Man (1883). Save for this character M. oceanicus is more closely related to M. 

 messor (Forskal), whereas M. quadridentatus is nearest to M. thukuhar (Owen). 



The present species seems to attain a larger size than any of the other species. One 

 egg-bearing 9 °f tne Leiden Museum, from the east coast of Atjeh (mouth of Arakundur 

 River), has a maximum breadth of carapace of exactly 40 mm., the length is 32 mm. This 

 is by far the largest specimen I know of. 



Subfam. Varuninae. 



This subfamily contains a number of littoral crabs, the carapace of which is somewhat 

 vaulted, and mostly with arched lateral margins ; the front is not stronglv deflexed and may 

 even be entirely horizontal; the gap between the external maxillipeds is rarely wide and does 

 not present the lozenge-shape of the Grapsinae\ the abdomen of the cf rarely occupies all the 

 space between the last pair of legs and the chelae of the c? are very often clothed with hairs. 



Key to the genera : 

 1 . Palp of ext. maxillipeds articulating with middle of anterior 



margin of merus 2 



1) Journ. I.inn. Soc. London, v. 20, 1S87, p. 113. 



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