Figure 70. — Processa bermudensis (Rankin). Animal in 

 lateral view (after Rankin, 1900). 



minal article and a portion of adjacent article 

 extending beyond antennular peduncle. 



First pair of legs strong ; chelate on right side ; 

 carpus a little over one-third length of merus, 

 length about 1.5 times width; palm 1.5 times 

 length of dactyl; left leg not chelate, carpus 

 three times as long as wide and about two-thirds 

 length of propodus. Second legs long, slender, 

 unequal, chelate; carpus and merus subdivided; 

 right leg with 18 carpal, 12 meral joints; left 

 leg with 17 carpal, 6 meral joints; merocarpal 

 bend of right leg reaching to or beyond end of 

 antennal scale. Remaining legs long, slender; 

 third shortest; fourth slightly longer than fifth; 

 dactyls simple ; propodus of fifth leg with groups 

 of long setae, a single small spine at end and one 

 to five additional spines along article. 



Abdomen with pleura rounded. Telson three 

 times as long as basal width; two pairs of large 

 dorsolateral spines, first pair close to anterior 

 end; tip subacute, armed with two pairs of stout 

 spines, and a strong median pair of feathered 

 setae, outer spines short, intermediate spines 

 long. Uropods elongate; outer border of exopod 

 ending in an acute spine flanked medially by a 

 strong movable spine. 



Measurements. — Length of body: males 14 to 

 16 mm. ; females, 50 mm. 



Variations. — The first pair of legs is usually 

 chelate on only the right side but this asymmetry 

 may be reversed. Relative length of the carpus 

 of the first legs changes with age. 



Color. — Larvae pale brown with glistening 

 white chromatophores; whole body pale (Lebour, 

 1941). 



Habitat. — Oceanic water; surface to possibly 

 180 fathoms. 



Type locality. — Harrington Sound, Bermuda. 



Known range. — Bermuda; North Carolina (re- 

 stricted to recently identified material). 



Remarks.— Gumey (1936c), Lebour (1941), and 

 Holthuis (1959) have all pointed out the confu- 

 sion which exists concerning identity of the 

 species of Processa in the Western Atlantic. 

 Formerly, the species found in the Western Atlan- 

 tic were lumped under the name P. canalicvlntn. 

 a name now restricted to a species in European 

 waters (Lebour, 1936), but Lebour (1941) showed 

 that three or perhaps four species occur at 

 Bermuda. It is likely that more than one species 

 occurs in the Carolinas as well. 



From descriptions given by the above authors, 

 it appears that one species occurring in the 

 Carolinas is P. bennudensis. a species lacking 

 antennal spines, although the stylocerite in North 

 Carolina material is not shaped exactly as that 

 shown in Gurney's illustrations. In addition, 

 there is apparently a second species (represented 

 by a few immature specimens in the Institute of 

 Fisheries Research collection, all taken in night 

 plankton tows in Bogue Sound) which has an an- 

 tennal spine present, shorter legs than P. bermu- 

 densis. fewer joints in the carpi of the second 

 legs than the above, and exhibits considerable 

 variation in spination of the third and fourth 

 legs. These specimens appear to be close to 

 Lebour's P. wheeleri, but because they are so few 

 in number and immature it is best to reserve 

 determination until more material is available 

 for study. 



Lebour (1941) showed that P. bermudensis 

 larvae are common in the plankton almost 

 throughout the year in Bermuda, and adults were 

 commonly found in the dredge at night, with 

 ovigerous females occurring at least from June 

 to October. Gumey ( 1936c) described eight larval 

 stages. 



Pearse (1934) too P. "canaliculata" from log- 

 gerhead sponges at Tortugas, Florida. 



Family Pandalidae 



Rostrum long and slender, laterally compressed, 

 armed with teeth or spines. Eyes well developed. 

 Mandibles with incisor process and a two or three- 

 jointed palp. First pair of legs simple or 

 microscopically chelate; second pair long, slender, 

 chelate, carpus subdivided. 



MARINE DECAPOD CRUSTACEANS OF THE CAROLINAS 



87 



