about six more on upper surface near inner mar- 

 gin ; superior border of merus armed with more or 

 less pointed projections, feebly rugose externally; 

 spines of palm, carpus, and merus obscured by 

 feathered hairs. Walking legs with long hairs, 

 particularly on upper and lower borders of 

 dactyls; spines on crest of carpus, propodus, and 

 base of dactyl, and somewhat reduced ones on 

 inner and outer sides of propodus and carpus 

 where rows appear mixed with hairs; dactyls 

 arched, somewhat shorter than combined length of 

 two preceding articles, and terminated by a coni- 

 cal claw. 



Measurements. — Length of carapace : males, 13 

 mm. ; ovigerous females, 11 mm. 



Variations.— The spination of the chelipeds 

 may vary in strength and density. The length of 

 the antennular peduncles, in relation to the eye- 

 stalks, is highly variable. The eye scales become 

 more dentate with age [implied]. The rostrum 

 may reach the level of the lateral projections of 

 the front, and small individuals tend to be hairier 

 than large ones (Milne Edwards and Bouvier, 

 1893). 



Habitat. — Literature and museum records show 

 that this species has been found housed in small to 

 medium-sized shells belonging to the families Cas- 

 sididae, Dentaliidae, Nassariidae, Ovulidae, Muri- 

 cidae, Trochidae, Turridae, and Volutidae; 15 to 

 878 fathoms. 



Type locality. — Sand-Key, [Fla.], 15 fathoms. 



Known range. — Southeast of Cape Lookout, 

 N.C. (82-100 fathoms) ; Florida Keys to Swan 

 Island off Honduras; through West Indies to 

 British Guiana. 



Remarks. — Ovigerous females have been taken 

 in February from North Carolina and Florida, in 

 May and June from Florida, and in November 

 from British Guiana. 



Paguristes sericeus Milne Edwards 

 Figure 93 



Paguristes sericeus Milne Edwards, 1880. p. 44. — Milne Ed- 

 wards and Bouvier, 1893, p. 46, pi. 3, figs. 14-22. — Provenzano, 

 1961, p. 155. 



Paguristes rectijrons Benedict, 1901, p. 145, pi. 4, flg. 7. 



Recognition characters. — Anterior shield of 

 carapace nearly as broad as long, flattened, with 

 several spines on each side; frontal margin as 

 long as ocular peduncles, making nearly a right 

 angle with lateral margins; lateral projections 



Figure 93. — Paguristes sericeus Milne Edwards. A, 

 anterior part of body in dorsal view; B, right chela, 

 outer surface ; 3 mm. indicated. 



low but terminating in a small spine. Rostrum 

 with acute tip reaching along approximately half 

 length of eye scales. Ocular peduncles slightly 

 narrowed in middle; eye scales small, acuminate 

 at tip. Antennular peduncles extending almost 

 to tips of eyestalks. Antennal peduncles slightly 

 exceeding acicles, terminal article armed with two 

 spines; acicles straight, terminated by a spiny 

 fork and with two or three spines on internal and 

 external borders. 



Chelipeds subequal, and rather short and 

 broad; upper surface of hands and carpi with 

 soft, silky, yellow hairs nearly obscuring surface, 

 many strong granulations becoming corneous at 

 tips scattered over upper surface. Walking legs 

 not reaching much beyond extended chelipeds; 

 dactyls regularly curved, dactyl of first walking 

 leg 1.5 times length of propodus, of second as 

 long as propodus and carpus combined. 



Measurements. — Length of carapace: approxi- 

 mately 20 mm. (Milne -Edwards and Bouvier, 

 1893). 



Variations. — There is apparently some varia- 

 tion in straightness of the front and length of the 

 eyestalks, as judged by the accounts of Milne 



MARINE DECAPOD CRUSTACEANS OF THE CAROLINAS 

 763-049 0-^65-^9 



117 



