Figure 65. — Hippolyte pleuracantha ( Stimpson ) . A, ani- 

 mal in lateral view, 3 mm. indicated ; B, anterior por- 

 tion of body in dorsal view; C, second leg; D, anterior 

 portion of body in lateral view; B-D, 1 mm. indicated. 



about to middle of article and separated from 

 lateral border of article by about width of stylo- 

 cerite, article ending in a short, broad, elevated, 

 bladelike projection, a short spine at antero- 

 lateral corner under blade; second and third 

 articles much shorter than first; antennular 

 flagella of about equal length; outer ramus stout, 

 broadest in middle, tapering to slender distal 

 portion, hairy on ventral border. Antennal scale 

 large, exceeding rostrum and reaching nearly to 

 end of antennular flagella, length a little over 

 three times width ; outer margin slightly concave, 

 terminating in a small spine, spine exceeded by 

 lamella; a spine near base of scale. 



First legs short, nearly equal, reaching a little 

 beyond base of distal article of antennal pedun- 

 cle; chelae setose, palm inflated, fingers about 

 half length of palm, cutting edges finely serrate; 

 carpus irregularly conical in shape, about three- 

 fourths length of chela, lower outer border with 

 spiniform setae. Second legs slender, reaching to 



tip of antennular peduncle; carpus longer than 

 merus, divided into three joints; fingers two-fifths 

 length of chelae, tips of cutting edges with spines; 

 chelae hairy. Third to fifth legs long; third 

 reaching to tip of antennal scale; dactyls with 

 series of spines in comblike arrangement on inner 

 border; propodi spined on inner border. 



Abdomen strongly bent at third segment; 

 posterior portion of third segment raised with 

 hoodlike projection overhanging fourth segment. 

 Telson with two pairs of dorsal spines on lateral 

 border, one about at half, another at three-fourths 

 length ; tip truncate, bearing three pairs of spines, 

 inner two pairs nearly equal, outer pair much 

 shorter. Uropodal exopods with lateral border 

 ending in a small spine flanked medially by a 

 movable spine. 



Measurements. — Length of body: ovigerous fe- 

 males, 12 to 18 mm.; males somewhat smaller. 



Variations. — The rostrum in this species varies 

 conspicuously in number of teeth, in shape from 

 lateral view, and in length. Dorsal and ventral 

 rostral teeth occur in all combinations from 1/1 

 to 3/3. Males are more slender than females. 



Color. — Usually mottled brown or red, often a 

 bright green. 



Habitat. — Extremely abundant in beds of vege- 

 tation (Zostera and Dipt ant Iter a) in sounds and 

 bays. Also found among rocks of jetties. 



Type locality. — Norfolk Harbor, Va., and 

 Somers Point, Great Egg Harbor, N.J. 



Known range. New Jersey to Galveston, Tex.; 

 Bermuda. 



Remarks. — The two species, Hippolyte pleura- 

 cantha and H. zostericola, have been much con- 

 fused over the years, and it is not at all certain 

 that differences pointed out here adequately dis- 

 tinguish them. No attempt has been made here 

 to give complete synonymies. This task must be 

 approached by a thorough revisionary work in 

 which all existing collections are studied. 



In general, it can be stated that H. pleuracantha 

 has no prominent distal spines on the basal article 

 of the antennular peduncle; it has a relatively 

 shorter rostrum, and appears to be somewhat 

 larger than H. zostericola. Hippolyte zostericola 

 has a prominent, distal, dorsal pair of spines on 

 the basal article of the antennular peduncle. I am 

 much indebted to L. B. Holthuis for pointing out 



MARINE DECAPOD CRUSTACEANS OF THE CAROLINAS 



81 



