260 ALLAN HANCOCK PACIFIC EXPEDITIONS VOL. 18 



Telson moderately broad, each set of 3 short apical spines inset la- 

 terally to the rounded end. 



Second and third epimera similar, unlike most other paraphoxids, 

 lower posterior corners produced into a small tooth, posterior edges nearly 

 straight and setose for most of their lengths. 



Male. — Sexual dimorphism typical. Rami of third uropods much 



broader than in female. 



Holotype. — AHF No. 3816, female, 17.5 mm. 



Type locality. — Station 888-38, near the mouth of Salinas River, 

 Monterey Bay, California, 36-44-30 N, 121-49-30 W, 10-13 fms, sand 

 bottom, Aug. 8, 1938. 



Remarks. — At first glance this subspecies is remarkably like P. ob- 

 tusidens and in the Santa Barbara to Point Conception region is difficult 

 to separate from the typical species. The following points are useful in 

 distinguishing large adults from P. obtusidens: 



(1) broad fourth and fifth articles of peraeopod 5; (2) the more 

 hemispherical lower edge of article 2, peraeopod 5; (3) broader pe- 

 raeopod 3, article 4 being much broader than 5; (4) similarity of second 

 and third epimera, and more dense setation; (5) a somewhat stouter 

 fifth article of peraeopods 1-2; (6) more numerous and different forms 

 of spines and setae on uropods 1-2. 



The species bears a resemblance to P. villosus (Haswell) but the 

 former differs in the following points: (1) article 6 of gnathopod 1 is 

 more slender; (2) article 4 of peraeopod 3 is much wider than 5; (3) 

 articles 4 and 5 of peraeopod 5 are broadly expanded. 



The distribution of this species lies mainly north of Point Conception 

 while P. obtusidens is mainly south of that point. However, P. obtusidens 

 is found at intertidal localities north of Point Conception and by my 

 synonymy extends north to the Okhotsk Sea. It is probable that P. o. 

 major represents a terminal growth condition of P. obtusidens in cold 

 waters since it is distinguishable only as large adults. Otherwise the 

 widely overlapping ranges would need explanation on an unlikely eco- 

 logical subspeciation. 



Material examined. — 108 specimens at 14 stations. 



Distribution. — This subspecies appears to be correlated with colder 

 shallow waters around promontories where upwelling might occur and 

 may be a terminal growth stage on coarse sands or in rich feeding 

 grounds. It has been collected at the following localities : Marin County, 

 California, intertidal; mouth of Salinas River; Osoflacos, in coarse sand 

 near surf zone; Pt. Conception and Pt. Arguello, 10 to 50 fms on coarse 



