820 



A. E. Verrill — Decapod Crustacea of Bermuda. 



The last two are from the region of the Gulf Stream. 



Some of the specimens taken in April, 1901, were carrying eggs- 

 Several of tliose collected bj^ the Bermuda Biological Station in June 

 and July, 1903, also carried eggs. 



Wherever fresh masses of Stirgassum are cast up by the waves this 

 crab can almost always be found beneath them, often in considerable 

 numbers. It is usually associated with small specimens of Portunus 

 Sayi and two species of shrimp [Latreiites ensiferus and Leander 

 tenuicoi'iiis). It is contained in all the Bermuda collections that I 

 have examined. 



The 36 specimens illustrated on my plate V, to show their varia- 

 tions in form and color, were all taken, with many more, under a sin- 

 gle mass of Sargassnm in March, 1901, by A. H. Verrill. 



It is a good swimmer, however,' having long legs bordered by a 

 dense fringe of hairs, so that it is not entirely dependent on the Sar- 

 gassum. 



Figure 7. — Gulf-weed crab, Planes minutus. enlarged IJ. The hairs of the legs 

 are mostly omitted. J. H. Emerton del. 



It is widely distributed, occurring in all tropical and subtropical 

 seas in floating Sargassum. 



In the Atlantic it occurs along the course of the Gulf Stream as 

 far north, at least, as George's Bank and off Nova Scotia. It is 

 sometimes cast ashore on the coasts of New England and Great Brit- 

 ain. Prof. Smith has recorded a large specimen found at Woods 

 Hole, Mass., by V. N. Edwards, Sept. 11, 1877. Southward it extends 

 to Brazil and Falkland Is. (Kingsley) ; on the Pacific coast from 

 Peru to the Gulf of California. Also found in the central Pacific 

 and Indian Oceans ; Mediterranean (Heller). West Coast of Africa, 

 Cape St. Lucas (Stimpson); Indian Ocean (M.-Edw.) ; New Zealand 

 and Natal (Kingsley). 



