Figure 143. — Ovalipes ocellatus (Herbst). Male in dor- 

 sal view, approximately X 0.80 (after Ratnbun, 1884). 



overall except for longitudinal band of slightly 

 enlarged granules in median line and smooth area 

 on posterior central portion of adults. Front with 

 three acute teeth, median one about twice as long 

 as lateral ones. Orbit with a shallow fissure above, 

 often nearly closed in adults, open in young. Five 

 anterolateral teeth strong, acute, directed for- 

 ward; inner suborbital angle projecting at least 

 as far as median frontal tooth. Pterygostomian 

 region with a long, curved, stridulating ridge 

 made up of approximately 50 close-set striae nar- 

 rowing into tubercles at inner end of ridge, a 

 short complementary ridge on proximal end of 

 inner margin of merus ; lobe at distal inner angle 

 of merus of outer maxilliped longer than broad. 



Chelipeds rather large; distal three-fifths of 

 anterior margin of merus with several small 

 spines and a dense fringe of hair; carpus with 

 two spines, inner one very long; hand triangular 

 in section, external border cost ate, covered with 

 uniform small tubercles, internal border with an 

 overhanging densely hairy ridge ending distally 

 in a sharp spine, ridges and internal line of hairs 

 continued on dactyl; fingers about as long as 

 palm, tapering gradually, tips turned abruptly 

 toward each other. 



Abdomen of male narrow, sides nearly parallel; 

 sixth segment nearly twice as long as seventh in 

 midline, seventh segment subcircular; first pleo- 

 pods of male broad and stout in proximal two- 

 thirds, narrowing abruptly distally and with 

 terminal portion bent ventrolaterally in a sinuous 

 curve. Abdomen of adult female suboval and 

 small compared to sternum. 



Measurements. — Carapace: males, length, 64 

 mm., width, 77 mm.; female, length, 39 mm., 

 width, 48 mm. 



Variations. — Spines are more acute on young 

 than on old individuals, and on some old adults 

 the anterolateral spines are worn away leaving 

 only rounded humps. The orbital fissure is nearly 

 closed in adults but often open in young indi- 

 viduals. The width between the suborbital angles 

 tends to increase relatively with age. 



Color. — "Yellowish gray, closely set with small 

 annular spots of reddish purple; carapace and 

 chelipeds with a silvery or brassy iridescence; 

 ground color of chelipeds and legs light brownish 

 tending to orange and bluish ; large irregular blu- 

 ish purple spots on upper surface of chelipeds; 

 large part of carpus including spine bluish ; simi- 

 lar but lighter spots on proximal half of other 

 legs; paddles greenish yellow, with deep yellow 

 rim" (Eathbun, 1930a, and other authors). An 

 iridescent spot between each pair of anterolateral 

 spines. 



Habitat. — Common on a variety of bottoms, 

 especially sand ; surface to 18 fathoms. 



Type locality. — Long Island near New York. 



Known range. — Prince Edward Island, Canada 

 (E. L. Bousfield, personal communication), to 

 Charleston, S.C., and on Texas coast jetties 

 (Whitten, Rosene, and Hedgpeth, 1950). 



Remarks. — The distinctions between this spe- 

 cies and 0. guadulpensis were discussed by Wil- 

 liams (1962). There is a distinct color difference, 

 pointed out in the color descriptions, and an ap- 

 parent difference in habitat among the adults. 

 Adults of 0. ocellatus are found near shore in the 

 Carolinas where the young of both species are also 

 found, as pointed out by a number of authors. 



Pearse, Humm, and Wharton (1942) pointed 

 out that 0. ocellatus can bury itself completely in 

 sand and respire by passing water into the gill 

 cavity from anterior lateral openings, then out 

 through two posterior openings. Gray (1957) cor- 

 related great activity of the species with large gill 

 area and compared this with gill areas of other 

 strictly aquatic crabs. 



Ovalipes guadulpensis (Saussure) 



Portunus guadulpensis Saussure, 1858, p. 433, pi. 2, fig. 10. 



Ovalipes ocellatus floridanus Hay and Shore, 1918, p. 427, 

 pi. 32, fig. 8. 



Ovalipes ocellatus guadulpensis: Rathbun, 1930a, p. 23, pi. 4 

 (rev.). 



Ovalipes guadulpensis: Williams, 1962, pp. 39-41. 



MARINE DECAPOD CRUSTACEANS OF THE CAROLINAS 



161 



