Subfamily Pisinae 



Eyes with commencing orbits, eye retractile into 

 sometimes large, blunt, usually isolated, cupped 

 postocular tooth or lobe, but never to such extent 

 as to conceal completely cornea from dorsal view ; 

 usually a prominent supraocular eave with an- 

 terior angle sometimes produced forward as a 

 spine; eyestalks short. Basal antennal article 

 broad, at least at base, anterior angle generally 

 produced to form a tooth or spine. Merus of ex- 

 ternal maxilliped broader than ischium owing to 

 expansion of anteroexternal angle, and carrying 

 palp at anterointernal angle. Rostrum [except in 

 Neododea among New World forms] two-spined; 

 legs often very long (Alcock, 1895). First pleo- 

 pod medium stout to slender, usually apically 

 somewhat tapering, but apex extremely varying 

 (blunt, acute, filiform, straight, geniculate, etc.) ; 

 second pleopod short (Stephensen, 1945). 



KEY TO GENERA OF PISINAE IN THE CAROLINAS 



Modified after Garth (1958) 



a. Intercalated orbital spine present Nibilfo (p. 251). 



aa. Intercalated orbital spine absent. 



b. Supraocular eave and postocular process not closely 



approximated Pclia (p. 250). 



bb. Supraocular eave and postocular process closely 

 approximated Libinia (p. 251). 



Genus Pelia Bell, 1835 



Garth, 1958, p. 268. 

 Pelia mutica (Gibbes) 



Figures 229, 233E 



Pisa mutica Gibbes, 1850, p. 171. 



Pelia mutica: Hay and Shore, 1918, p. 455, pi. 38, fig. 7.— 

 Rathbun, 1925, p. 278, text -fig. 94, pi. 98, figs. 2-3 (rer.). 



Recognition characters. — Small species. Cara- 

 pace pyriform, greatest width approximately two- 

 thirds greatest length, swollen, devoid of tuber- 

 cles, covered with sparse pubescence, gastric and 

 cardiac regions elevated. Rostrum well developed, 

 two-fifths as long as remainder of carapace, 

 formed of two more or less distally divergent 

 horns with outer margins often parallel, a furrow 

 on basal portion. Eyes retractile. Basal antennal 

 article long, slender, forming incomplete floor to 

 orbit and jutting out beyond orbital margin, usu- 

 ally with small tootb or spine at anteroexternal 

 angle: antennal flagellum greatly developed. 



250 



Figure 229. — Pclia mutica (Gibbes). Animal in dorsal 

 view, legs of right side not shown, 3 mm. indicated. 



Chelipeds of mature male as long as first walk- 

 ing legs but stouter and almost bare, weaker in 

 females and young males; upper and inner margin 

 of merus dentate; carpus with a longitudinal den- 

 ticulate ridge; upper and lower margins of hand 

 slightly arcuate; basal half of fingers widely 

 agape, with denticulate margins on occludent por- 

 tions and broad basal tooth of dactyl; fingers 

 weaker and not agape in females and young 

 males. Walking legs with marginal rows of stiff 

 setae, meri much compressed, dactyls strongly 

 curved. 



Abdomen of both sexes with seven free seg- 

 ments. 



Measurements. — Carapace : male, length, 13 

 mm., width, 9 mm.; ovigerous females, length. 

 5-10 mm. (Wass, 1955). 



Color. — Bright red in patches on carapace and 

 in bands on legs, spots of light red on chelipeds 

 (Rathbun, 1925). 



Habitat. — This species has been found on 

 gravelly and shelly bottoms of bays and sounds, 

 among hydroids, ascidians, and sponges on wharf 

 piles, and also on shelly reefs off Beaufort Inlet. 



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