ISOPODS OF NORTH AMERICA. 



209 



ROCINELA SIGNATA Schioedte and Meinert. 



Roelnela signata ScnitEUTE and ]\Ii:i\ert, Naturhistorisk Tidsskrift (3), XII, 

 1879-80, pp. 899-401, pi. xiii, figs. 3-6.— Richardson, Pnx-. 1'. S. Nat. 

 Mus., XXIII, 1901, p. 524.— MooKE, P.ull. V. S. Fish Coinin., XX, Pt. 2, 

 1902, p. 171, pi. X, fig. 2. 



Localities. — West Indies; shores of Central Anierica; St. Croix 

 Island; St. Bartholomew Island; Marco and No Name Key, Florida; 

 between delta of tlie Mississippi and Cedar Ke3's, Florida; Key West, 

 Florida; Anclote section; Gulf of Mexico; Culebra, Porto Kico. 



I)c/>fL^2-26 fathoms. 



Found in coarse sand and coral; in rocks. From back of grouper; 

 off tish Dlplectricm Jhrinosw/i ; in the gills of T/iimnus alatiinga; in 

 gills of a scaroid; on ^''Ilsem- 

 ulon or Scixna '■ (Schicedte 

 and Meinert). 



Body oblong-ovate, a littla 

 more than twice as long as 

 wide, 6 mm. :13 mm. 



Head twice as wide as long, 

 2 nun. :4 mm., triangular in 

 shape and produced in front 

 over the l)asal articles of the 

 antenni^. Eyes large, oval, 

 composite, separated in front 

 by a distance somewhat 

 greater than the width of 

 one eye. The first pair of 

 antenna^ have the basal arti- 

 cle short, and covered b}- the 

 front of the head; second article about twice as long as the first; third 

 article about one and a half times as long as the second. The flagellum 

 is composed of four articles. The first pair of antenna^ extend to the 

 middle of the fifth article of the peduncle of the second antenna?. 

 The first two articles of the second antenntv are short, the second one 

 being somewhat shorter than the first; the third and fourth are sub- 

 equal and each is twice as long as the first; the fifth is a little longer 

 than the fourth. The flagellum is composed of twelve articles. The 

 second antennie extend almost, but not quite, to the posterior margin 

 of the second thoracic segment. The frontal lamina is small, almost 

 inconspicuous, rhomboid-shaped and ventrally placed. The maxilliped 

 has a palp of two articles. 



The first, fourth, fifth, and sixth segments of the thorax are a little 

 longer than any of the others. The epimera are distinct from the seg- 

 ments in all but the first. The}' are narrow plates, with the posterior 

 28589—05 14 



Fig. 211.— Rocixela signata (Akter Schicedte and 

 Meinert). a, Adult fem.^i.e. 6, Young female, c. 

 Frontal margin with both antennae and frontal 

 lamina. (Enlarged.) 



