Chelipeds weak; first pair of walking legs 

 longer than others and exceeding length of cheli- 

 peds by more than length of dactyl. 



Abdomen in both sexes with seven distinct 

 segments. 



Measurements. — Carapace: male, length, 13 

 mm., width, 7 mm.; ovigerous female, length, 23 

 mm., width, 11 mm. 



Variations. — Divergence of the rostral horns 

 varies individually. In some specimens the horns 

 are contiguous nearly to the tip, in others the 

 horns may be divergent for half their length, and 

 in still others there is no evidence at all of 

 bifurcation. 



Color. — Orange- red. 



Habitat. — Ninety to 148 fathoms. 



Type locality. — Off Barbados, 100 fathoms. 



Known range. — Off Cape Lookout, N.C., to 

 Barbados. 



Remarks. — Ovigerous females have been re- 

 ported from North Carolina in April (Rathbun, 

 1925). 



Genus Epialtus H. Milne Edwards, 1834 



Garth, 1958, p. 227. 



Epialtus dilatatus Milne Edwards 



Figures 228, 233D 



Epialtus dilatatus Milne Edwards, 1878, p. 140, pi. 27, figs. 

 4-4b — Rathbun, 1925, p. 153, text-fig. 53j, pi. 45, fig. 2 (rev.). 



Recognition characters. — Small species. Cara- 

 pace broad, subpentagonal, almost smooth, with 

 hepatic and branchial projections more or less 

 laminate. Rostrum broad, somewhat triangular, 

 short, bilobed at tip, slightly depressed on median 

 line dorsally with depression continued ventrally 

 and limited by two crests uniting posteriorly in 

 an acute angle. Eyes small; preorbital angles 

 scarcely marked; postorbital teeth minute. Basal 

 article of antenna triangular, movable part con- 

 cealed beneath rostrum. 



Chelipeds moderate in size; carpus with four 

 longitudinal crests; hand slightly enlarged dis- 

 tally, upper margin blunt, defined by depression 

 on either side; fingers short and stout. Walking 

 legs with slight tuft of hair on lower margin of 

 propodi. 



Abdomen of male with six, female with five, 

 free segments. 



Figube 228. — Epialtus dilatatus Milne Edwards. Male 

 in dorsal view, legs of left side not shown, 3 mm. 

 indicated. 



Measurements. — Carapace: male, length, 17 

 mm., width, 13 mm.; female, length, 10 mm., 

 width, 8 mm. 



Variations. — Members of the genus Epialtus 

 are variable in a number of respects. The hepatic 

 expansion may vary in shape and the rostrum may 

 vary from triangular to suboblong in shape. 



Rathbun (1925) recognized from southwestern 

 Florida an elongate form which has a longer ros- 

 trum and slightly different lateral expansions 

 than the typical form. 



Habitat. — The species has been reported from 

 shell reefs and coarse coral sand, and the elongate 

 form has been found on sandy-grassy bottoms as 

 well. Two and one-half to 12 fathoms. 



Type locality. — St. Thomas. 



Known range. — Off Beaufort Inlet and New 

 River, N.C. ; southwest Florida; Yucatan; Ba- 

 hamas to St. Thomas. 



Remarks. — Rathbun (1925) reported ovigerous 

 females from Florida in April. They are known 

 from North Carolina in June, and in Florida 

 through the summer. Other records are Brazil in 

 September, and Puerto Rico in November (U.S. 

 National Museum records). 



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