No. 10 garth: brack yuran fauna of the galapagos 399 



783-38. Darwin Bay, Tower Island, 40-70 fms, Jan. 16, 1938, 2 



ovig. females. 

 784-38. Darwin Bay, Tower Island, shore, Jan. 17, 1938, 7 males, 5 



females (3 ovig.). 

 785-38. Darwin Bay, Tower Island, 20-40 fms, Jan. 17, 1938, 2 males, 



2 females (1 ovig.). 

 789-38. South Seymour Island, shore, Jan. 19, 1938, 25 males, 18 



females (15 ovig.). 

 790-38. "Velero Bay," South Seymour Island, 10-20 fms, Jan. 19, 



1938, 1 male. 

 796-38. Sulivan Bay, James Island, shore, Jan. 21, 1938, 17 males, 10 



females ( 3 ovig. ) . 

 800-38. Cartago Bay, Albemarle Island, shore, Jan. 22, 1938, 5 males, 



4 females (3 ovig.). 

 804-38. Charles Island, coral from Onslow Island crater, Jan. 23, 



1938, 5 males, 6 females (5 ovig.), 1 young. 

 811-38. Barrington Island, coral, Jan. 26, 1938, 23 males, 27 females 

 (17 ovig.). 

 811a-38. Barrington Island, Pavona coral, Jan. 26, 1938, 3 males, 4 

 females. 

 Measurements. — Male: length 12.0 mm, width 13.4 mm, cheliped 

 20.0 mm, chela 10.8 mm. 



Color in life. — Ground color of carapace a rich dull magenta purple. 

 Lacelike designs on frontal and branchial regions white tinged with red. 

 Ground color of chelipeds and ambulatory legs creamy white; patterns 

 similar to those of carapace but much paler. Crest of hand dark magenta 

 purple. Fingers banded with various shades of orange, tips white. Legs 

 also have blotches of dull yellow. Dactyls golden. (Petersen) 

 Habitat. — Rocky shore or Pocillopora coral. 

 Depth. — Shore to 20 fms; exceptionally 40-70 fms. 

 Remarks. — This most abundant spider crab was taken at a greater 

 number of stations than any other Galapagos brachyuran. It is exceeded 

 in number of individual specimens only by two of the Xanthidae, the free- 

 living Leptodius cooksoni Miers and the Pocz7/o/»orfl:-dwelling Trapezia 

 cymodoce ferruginea Latreille. 



The remarks of Finnegan (1931) concerning the variability of this 

 species and the difiference between those collected ashore and those taken 

 in corals are pertinent in the light of the experience of Velero III col- 

 lectors. The larger specimens which stray beyond the protecting branches 

 of the Pocillopora are almost invariably smooth legged and lumpy of 

 carapace, while smaller individuals cracked from coral have cristate legs 

 and spinous lateral margins. 



