456 



BULLETIN 129, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



Diagnosis. — Eostro-orbital region in the adult occupying more than 

 one-fourth of total length of carapace. Median spines of carapace 

 10; marginal hepatic spines 2. 



Description. — Carapace covered with numerous spines in the old. 

 The rostral horns are short, straight and divergent. Median spines 

 10, of which 4 are gastric, one genital, 2 cardiac, 3 intestinal. A large 

 spine on each protogastric region in line with anterior median spine. 

 A row of 2 or 3 small spines on the frontal region behind each horn. 

 Hepatic region protruding, armed with 2 large anterior marginal 

 spines, and 2 or 3 small dorsal spines. Of the lateral branchial 

 spines it may be said that they are 3, with a row of 3 spines below 

 them, the posterior 2 of which are as large as the marginal spines. 

 A row of 4 branchial spines above the marginal spines, and above 

 the middle 2 of these are 2 more spines; a row of small spines 

 parallels the curve of the cardiac region; behind this a single spine; 

 while a row of 5 or more spines lies above each postero-lateral margin. 



The preorbital spine is much shorter than in cornuta. The spine 

 near the antero-lateral angle of the basal article of the antenna points 

 forward and is of similar size to the postorbital spine; on the same 

 article there is a strong spine pointing obliquely downward at the 

 insertion of the next article. A spine also near the angle of the 

 buccal cavity; midway between and in line with this spine and the 

 spine near the orbit there is a tubercle (or sometimes a spine) . 



Merus of chelipeds with a row of 5 spines above and 3 equidistant 

 rows of tubercles; carpus with a few tubercles above. Merus of first 

 ambulatory leg with a row of tubercles on its upper inner side. 



The above description was made from a large female from Dominica 

 which is much larger than Saussure's type and has a few more spines; 

 it is about the size of Moreira's polyacantJia, figured, which has still 

 more spines, but some of the additional spines are represented in the 

 Dominican specimen by spinules. 



Measurements. — 



Saussure's 

 typo of spi- 

 nosissima 



Dominica 

 (32712) 



Moreira's 



type of 



poly- 



acantha 



Length of carapace, including horns 

 Width of carapace, including spines 

 Width of carapace, excluding spines 

 Length of rostral horns. — 



Female 

 61 

 48 

 41 

 10 



Female 

 94 

 75 



65.5 

 14 



Male 



about 8- 



Color. — When the hairs are removed, a flesh-colored rose, fingers 

 violet or brown (Saussure) . 



Range. — Southern Florida; Haiti, West Indies, to Rio de Janeiro, 

 Brazil. 26 to 60 fathoms. 



