FISHERY BULLETIN: VOL. 72, NO. 3 



ment mainly reddish tan. Males tend to be red- 

 dish, females greenish. 



Variation . — This species greatly resembles both 

 C. rathbunae and C. maracaiboensis but generally 

 has more obtuse frontal and anterolateral teeth as 

 well as more pronounced smoothness on chelipeds 

 and carapace. Considerable variation attributable 

 to growth and age is evident. The submesial pair of 

 frontal teeth become relatively more slender with 

 age, but seldom extremely acute. Some young 

 have quite lobate frontals, scarcely separated; an 

 extreme case is represented by MCZ lot 5186 from 

 Caruca, Rio Maria [= Rio Caragaua near Belem?] 

 Brazil, in which an immature female has lobate 

 frontal teeth partially coalesced while more ma- 

 ture males in the lot have fairly sharp submesial 

 frontals. There is great variation in length of 

 lateral spines, the relationship of spine length to 

 that of the last anterolateral tooth as cited by 

 Rathbun (1930) and Taissoun (1972) not holding 

 up as a key character for large series of specimens. 

 Anterolateral teeth vary from obtuse to acumi- 

 nate, acuteness increasing somewhat with age, 

 and edges of the teeth vary from smooth to 

 granulate with greatest amount of granulation 

 usually on the posterior margin. There is more 

 apparent variation in chelipeds than among other 

 species of the genus. A character accentuated with 

 age, especially among males, is a major cheliped 

 with gaping fingers in which the propodus is 

 decurved along its lower margin. At one extreme 

 is a heavy gaping hand with strong basal tooth on 

 the dactyl, whereas at the other both chelae may 

 be slender and almost symmetrical. Many indi- 

 viduals have a major chela that is halfway along 

 this scale of development; others possess two 

 minor chelae of nearly uniform size — evidence of 

 regeneration. 



From Rio de Janeiro south, specimens seen have 

 stronger and more sharply granulate ridges on the 

 chelae than those from other parts of the species' 

 geographic range. Likewise on these southern 

 forms, granules are bold on the posterior slope of 

 the cardiac area and sometimes crowded into 

 suggestion of a transverse ridge at summits of the 

 cardiac and mesobranchial areas. Both develop- 

 ments are reminiscent of similar patterns found in 

 the acutidens form of C. sapidus. Frontal teeth, 

 mesogastric area, and first pleopods of these forms 

 seem typical of C. bocourti. 



More obscure are other variations which have 

 bearing on the separation of C. bocourti from 



maracaiboensis. A series of variant specimens 

 from over the geographic range of C. bocourti 

 demonstrate these. 



Brazil: An ovigerous female from Praia Inglese, 

 Sao Francisco (USNM 60978) has its sixth abdom- 

 inal segment relatively narrow for its length with 

 the distolateral edge angular (typical), not 

 rounded as in C. maracaiboensis, the anterolat- 

 eral teeth sharp and not curved forward, and the 

 frontal teeth fairly sharp. 



Puerto Rico: A mature female from Hucares 

 (USNM 24460) has an abdomen as above but 

 frontal teeth rather short and lobate, and an- 

 terolateral teeth short and not curved forward but 

 with their anterior margin shorter than the pos- 

 terior one. Another mature female (USNM 24457), 

 from near Palo Seco, has its sixth abdominal 

 segment shaped as in C. maracaiboensis (short, 

 broad, rounded distally), short and rounded fron- 

 tal teeth (mesial pair a bit sharper), and an- 

 terolateral teeth curved forward only in the lat- 

 eral half of the row. A mature male from Catario 

 (USNM 24455) has anterolateral teeth short and 

 not trending forward, first gonopods distorted in 

 preservation but armed with spinules typical of 

 C bocourti (but a tip as in maracaiboensis), and 

 short, lobulate frontal teeth (mutilated). 



Trinidad: A mature female (USNM 137731) has 

 the abdomen shaped as in C. maracaiboensis, and 

 lobulate frontal and anterolateral teeth quite 

 sharp and decidedly curved forward. Males in this 

 lot have first gonopods typical of bocourti and 

 anterolateral teeth moderately curved forward. 



Venezuela: A mature female from Tacarigua de 

 la Laguna, Estado Miranda (USNM 89644) has 

 the sixth abdominal segment rounded distally and 

 relatively short for its width, as in C 

 maracaiboensis, the mesial pair of frontal teeth 

 moderately acute, lateral pair broader (both pairs 

 fairly short), and sharply acuminate anterolateral 

 teeth trending forward but not curved. 



Costa Rica: A mature female (USNM 113279) 

 has very lobate frontal teeth, erect anterolateral 

 testh strong and trending forward, and the sixth 

 abdominal segment broken but rather indetermi- 

 nate in shape (trending toward typical). 



British Honduras: A mature female from near 

 Belize (21377) has prominently lobulate frontal 

 teeth, anterolateral teeth trending forward but 

 sharp tipped only in the lateral half of the row, and 

 the sixth abdominal segment halfway between the 

 two extremes for the species (wide and broadly 

 rounded distally). 



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