Figure 202. — Pachygrapsus transversus (Gibbes). Ani- 

 mal in dorsal view, legs of left side not shown, 5 mm. 

 indicated. 



long, depressed, polished, with fine transverse 

 plications, except oblique ones on branchial re- 

 gions. Sides slightly arched, strongly converging 

 posteriorly, and armed with a well-marked tooth 

 behind orbital angle. Front slightly more than 

 half as wide as carapace, edge sinuous and gran- 

 ulate, upper surface with four low elevations. 

 Orbits oblique, approximately two-fifths width of 

 front, lower border denticulate. 



Chelipeds equal, much stouter than legs, 1.6 

 times longer than carapace in male, finely granu- 

 late; inner edge of merus produced in a laminate, 

 toothed expansion; meri of all legs and carpus of 

 cheliped transversely striated; carpus with blunt 

 internal tooth ; upper surface of palm with a mar- 

 ginal line, oblique striae on inner and lower side, 

 an oblique line on outer surface near lower edge ; 

 fingers narrowly gaping except for large triangu- 

 lar tooth near middle of immovable finger. Merus 

 of walking legs with posterodistal angle dentate; 

 first and fourth walking legs subequal, second and 

 third pairs longer and subequal, last three arti- 

 cles bristly and thorny. Female with conspicuous 

 feathery hairs on carpus and propodus of first 

 walking legs. 



Male abdomen with telson broadly triangular. 



Measurements. — Carapace: male, length, 11 

 nun.; width, 14 mm. 



Color. — Variable; ground color almost black, 

 olive green, yellowish, yellowish brown or dull 

 gray, covered by irregular mottlings of dark 

 brown, reddish or dark olive; usually darkest an- 



teriorly with transverse ridges edged with green- 

 ish gray, reddish or dark brown; chelae often 

 plain or reddish brown, tips light ; walking legs 

 brown or blackish with gray spots (various 

 authors). 



Habitat. — This species is found among rocks, 

 on pilings, on roots of mangroves, and on sandy 

 shores. 



Type locality. — Key West, [Fla.]. 



Known range. — Cape Lookout, N.C., to Monte- 

 video, Uruguay; Bermuda. Beyond this region 

 the species has a wide distribution in tropical and 

 subtropical seas and has been carried to higher 

 latitudes than it normally inhabits by transport 

 on ships' bottoms. 



Remarks. — At Bermuda, where this crab is 

 abundant, ovigerous females have been observed 

 from April to July (Verrill, 1908). Ovigerous 

 females have been reported from February to 

 August in various parts of the Caribbean area 

 (Kathbun, 1918b, in part), and are known from 

 North Carolina in August and September. Le- 

 bour (1944) illustrated some of the larval stages 

 of this species from their occurrence at Bermuda. 



Pearse (1932b) reported the protozoan Episty- 

 lis, and Verrill (1908) the isopod Leidya distorta 

 in the gill cavities of this crab. 



In the past, occurrence of this crab in the Beau- 

 fort, N.C., area has been irregular and these in- 

 trusions from more southerly waters may reflect 

 annual variations in temperature or occasional 

 transport on vessels. As Verrill (1908) suggested, 

 the range of this species may have been greatly 

 extended by commerce in modern times. 



Genus Planes Bowdich, 1825 



Rathbun. 1918b. p. 253.— Chace, 1951.— Hemming. 1958b, p. 36. 



Planes minutus (Linnaeus). Gulf weed crab; turtle crab; 

 Columbus crab 



Figure 203 



Cancer minutus Linnaeus, 1758. p. 625. 



Planes mhiutus: Hay and Shore. 1918, p. 448. pi. 36. fig. 6.— 

 Chaee, 1951, p. 81. figs. la. 2 a. d, g. j, k, 1, 3 a-h (rev.). — 

 Hnltliuis, 1959. p. 240. 



lit cognition characters. — Carapace approxi- 

 mately as wide as long, subquadrate in young. 

 trapezoidal in medium sized, laterally convex in 

 old individuals, convex dorsally, smooth, but with 

 faint oblique lines on outer part of branchial re- 

 gion. Front approximately half as wide as cara- 



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