THE CRUSTACEANS 



101 



Fig. <5p; LADV CRAB. From a specimen in tlie 

 New York Aquarium. 



in the markets. In this country it is ii.sed only for bait. It grows 

 to be about three inches in width, and two in length. There are 

 ten sharp-edged 

 teeth, five on each 

 side, which pro- 

 ject forward from 

 the front edges 

 of the shell. The 

 right hand claw 

 is somewhat larg- 

 er and blunter 

 than the left. It 

 is a pugnacious 

 fighter and rapid 

 runner. 



The Lady 

 Crab, (Platyoni- 

 chus ocellat us, 

 Fig. 63), is a 



beautiful species common on sandy bottoms from Cape Cod to 

 Florida, and is abundant on the southern Long Island coast. It is 

 of a delicate greenish-yellow profusely spotted with purple-colored 



rings. The powerful claws are 

 armed with jagged teeth which 

 enable the crab to seize uj^on 

 the fish and other animals 

 which it devours. This crab 

 is often seen partially buried 

 beneath the sand with onl}^ the 

 eye-stalks protruding. The 

 hind legs are paddle-shaped 

 and the crab uses them very 

 effectually in swimming, al- 

 though it can also crawl with its 

 other legs. It grows to be about two and a half inches long and 

 three broad. The Gulf- Weed Crab, ( Portunus sayi, Fig. 70 J, 

 lives within the masses of gulf- weed (Sargassum) which float 

 over the tropical Atlantic, and is sometimes drifted upon our coast 



Fig 7o; GULF-WEED CRAB. From float- 

 ing Gulf-weed. Tortuga.s, Florida. 



