Caprellidse from Laguna Beach 



R. LA FOLLETTE 



This paper is a preliminary article on the Caprellidae of Laguna 

 Beach, and deals with species that have so far been identified. 

 Because of great variation, due to age, it is very difficult to place 

 the different forms. 



Caprella geometrica Say 



Mayer places C. geometrica as one of eighteen or twenty varieties 

 of the species acntifrons, but I have thought it best to follow some 

 of the other writers and use geometrica as the species name, as 

 my specimen closely resembles the species which seems to be C. 

 geometrica in several accounts. 



The specimen here described is an adult male. The peraeon 

 (Plate I, Fig. 1) is robust and covered with many blunt tubercles. 

 In this respect it varies from the specimens described by others 

 who say the perason is smooth. The young are comparatively 

 smooth and develop tubercles on the caudal segments first. Cepha- 

 lon furnished with a sharp anteriorly directed dorsal tooth. First 

 segment shorter than the second, which is triangular in shape; third 

 and fourth broad and a little shorter than the second; fifth, sixth 

 and seventh each growing smaller respectively and truncate at the 

 tip. Antennae, stout; superior pair not half as long as the body, 

 first joint short and twice as thick as the second but only half as 

 long, third joint shorter than first; flagellum as long as the peduncle 

 and composed of 15 or 16 joints, inferior pair extending to about 

 the middle of the flagellum of the superior, joints long and narrow. 



First gnathopod (Fig. 2), attached far forward, convex in shape 

 and tapering slightly toward the finger, which was long as the palm 

 and narrow; palm armed with tooth-like spine at the base and 

 many hairs. Second gnathopod (Fig. 3), attached just posterior 

 to the middle of the second pereiod, basal joint short and thick, not 

 half as long as the palm; inner margin of the hand concave, armed 

 with a tooth on the dorsal lobe and a broad, truncate tooth near 

 the base of the finger, as well as numerous hairs; finger sharply con- 



