doubtfully referred to C. ornatus. said that it 

 tends to occupy oceanic waters and high- to 

 medium-salinity areas of estuaries chiefly in a 

 temperature range of 15° to 31° C, but has been 

 found in temperatures as low as 9° C. From over 

 500 trawl hauls in South Carolina, a depth maxi- 

 mum of 9 fathoms was found for the species. 

 However, specimens have been taken under a 

 light at night swimming at the surface in 925- 

 fathom water off the Mississippi River Delta 

 (U.S. National Museum notes). 



Reported from surface to 40 fathoms, with 

 above exception. 



Type localities. — Charleston Harbor [S.C.] ; 

 Tortugas [Fla.] ; Bahama Islands; Gonaives 

 [Haiti]; Cumana [Venezuela]. 



Known range. — New Jersey to State of Sao 

 Paulo, Brazil; Bermuda. 



Remarks. — Blake (1953) reported a fossil rec- 

 ord for this species dating from the Pleistocene 

 of Maryland. Lunz (1958), in addition to habitat 

 data, reported ovigerous females from South 

 Carolina in May, August, and September, and 

 added that spawning probably takes place off- 

 shore. He found a sex ratio of approximately two 

 males to one female. Ovigerous females occur as 

 late as November in North Carolina. 



Genus Arenaeus Dana, 1851 



Rathbun, 1930a, p. 134. — Hemming. 1958b. p. 13. 



Arenaeus cribrarius (Lamarck). Speckled crab 



Figure 153 



Portunus cribrarius Lamarck, 1818, p. 259. 

 Arenaeus cribrariux: Hay and Shore, 1918, p. 434, pi. 34, fig. 

 3. — Rathbun, 1930a, p. 134, pi. 58, figs. 2-3; pis. 59-60 (rev.). 



Recognition characters. — Carapace more than 

 twice as wide as long, finely granulate, produced 

 on each side into a strong spine. Front not so far 

 advanced as outer orbital angles, with six teeth 

 including inner orbitals ; central tooth of each side 

 partly coalesced with adjacent submedian tooth. 

 Anterolateral teeth strong, somewhat acuminate, 

 heavily ciliate beneath. Superior wall of orbit 

 with two deep fissures dividing it into three lobes; 

 inferior wall of orbit with wide external fissure 

 and inner angle much advanced; lower surface 

 of carapace hairy. 



Chelipeds of moderate size; merus with three 

 spines on anterior border, and a short tuberculi- 

 form one near distal end of posterior border; 



carpus with two spines; hand short, with five 

 longitudinal granulose ridges and two spines, one 

 at articulation with carpus, another above base of 

 dactyl. Walking legs rather short and broad, 

 densely ciliate. Swiming legs stout. Basal seg- 

 ment of abdomen produced on each side into 

 strong, sharp, slightly upcurved spine. 



Measurements. — Carapace: male, length, 48 

 mm,; width, 116 mm. 



Color. — Light vinaceous brown or olive brown 

 thickly covered over dorsal surface with small, 

 rounded, white spots; spots on dorsal surface of 

 chelipeds somewhat larger; tips of walking legs 

 yellow. Color pattern persisting in alcohol. 



Habitat. — As far as known, this crab seldom 

 enters estuaries and is rarely washed ashore 

 along the outer beaches. It lives in rather shallow 

 water close to the shore, and is well adapted to 

 life in the waves and shifting sand. Hildebrand 

 (1954) reported it as preferring the relatively 

 shallow water of the white shrimp grounds in 

 Texas. Siebenaler (1952) reported it as a "trash" 

 form on the Florida east coast shrimp grounds. 

 Waterline along beaches to 37 fathoms. 



Type locality. — Brazil. 



Known range. — Vineyard Sound, Mass., to 

 State of Santa Catarina, Brazil. 



Remarks. — Ovigerous females are known in 

 August from Florida, and in September from 

 Venezuela and Brazil. 



Figure 153. — Arenaeus cribrarius (Lamarck). Male in 

 dorsal view, legs not shown except for right cheliped, 

 color pattern of right side indicated, 50 mm. indicated. 



MARINE DECAPOD CRUSTACEANS OF THE CAROLINAS 



173 



