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MARINE AQUARIA 

colors are almost exactly those of the sand and the coarsely granulated 
carapace appears like a little mound of wet sand. Common from Long 
Island to Brazil, and subsists largely on Beach fleas, upon which it springs 
by a sudden movement of the legs. 
Menippe mercenaria, (Say), the Stone Crab, is a frequently occurring 
Southern form not present on more northern shores. 
Libinia emarginata, (Leach), or Common Spider Crab, or Sea Spider, 
has the whole surface of the body covered with hairs, matted with mud 
and alge. ‘The carapace is nearly round and the limbs have a thick gran- 
ulated covering. ‘The legs are long and slender and the claws short and 
weak. The males are larger than the females and often have a spread of 
12 inches. It hides in the mud and decaying weeds and is sluggish in 
movement. Common from Maineto Florida. A second species, L. dubia, 
closely resembles the above, but its range is more to the north. 
Lamobrus Pourtalesu, (Say), or Long-armed Spider Crab, has a thick 
roughly spined, almost pear-shaped 1% inches broad carapace, very long, 
heavy, roughly granular and spined 3 inches long forelimbs with very 
short claws. Lives among rocks, which it closely resembles, and ranges 
from Cape Cod to Florida. 
Hyas coarctatus, (Say), or Toad Crab, inhabits both shallow and deep 
water, its name being derived from the repulsive appearance of the car- 
apace and the size of the body, which resembles a toad. The legs are 
slender and the claws short and weak. Common along the Atlantic coast. 
Eupagurus pollicaris, (Stimp.), or Hermit Crab, Soldier Crab, lives 
in shallow water and protects its soft hinder portion in empty Gasteropod 
shells, which it carries with it by holding fast with the hooklike end of 
the body. Found from Massachusetts to Florida. Three other Middle 
Atlantic coast species are E. pubescens, E. bernhardus and E. longicarpus, all 
of similar form and habits. These crabs make interesting aquarium in- 
mates and thrive best when they can come on rocks above the surface. 
Gelasimus minax, (Uca minax), (Le Conte), or Common Fiddler Crab, 
abounds in almost every salt water and brackish marsh and estuary. The 
males are provided with unequal claws, the larger of which is likened to a 
a fiddle and the smaller to the bow. The claws of the female are of equal 
size. They congregate in numbers and excavate holes in mud banks 
above the reach of the tides, to which they scamper when disturbed. 
Two other very similar species, G. pugnax and G. pugilator, also occur 
from New England to Florida. Of these the one described is the larger. 
Associated with the Fiddler another crab, Sesarma reticulata, the Brown 
Shore Crab, will often be found. It is reddish-brown in color and has 
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