414 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM vol. ii5 



Family Stilipedidae 



Stilipes distincta Holmes 



Figure 11 



Stilipes distincta Holmes, 1908, p. 536, figs. 41-44. — Gurjanova, 1952, p. 194, 

 fiff. 17. 



Stilipes distincta was described by Holmes from San Nicolas Island 

 off southern California, and he created the family Stilipedidae to 

 receive it. Giirjanova (1952) recorded and figured this species from 

 the western Bering Sea. The genus Cacao, erected by K. H. Barnard 

 (1932, p. 153) for C. lacteus from the South Atlantic, has the same 

 characters as Stilipes and is here considered a synonym of Holmes' 

 genus. Cacao sanguineus Hurley (1954, p. 803), from the southeast 

 coast of New Zealand, now becomes Stilipes sanguineus (Hurley). 

 Barnard placed Cacao in the family Tironidae with some reservation, 

 but it does not agree with that family in several of its characters. 



The genus Stilipes is very widely distributed, but up to the present 

 time it is represented by only 3 species, S. distincta, S. lactea, and 

 S. sanguinea. 



A sexually mature male and an ovigerous female were taken by the 

 Albatross at station 4751 at the southern end of Alaska (55°56'50" N, 

 132°04'20" W) in 288 fathoms, Aug. 30, 1905. The description and 

 figures given herein are of this male. 



Male. — Head and pereon broad, smooth, evenly arched. Head 

 prominent, tumid, as long as first 3 pereon segments combined, bearing 

 peculiar downward-projecting rostrum (fig. 116). Oval bulging area 

 on lower front margin of head represents eye, but no visual elements 

 can be discerned, animal having been in alcohol so long. Antenna 1 

 about % length of body and about % length of antenna 2; peduncle 

 short, first joint longer than second and third combined; flagellum 

 composed of many joints, first of which is scarcely any longer than 

 rest; second and third peduncular joints and first 7-10 flagellar joints 

 with brushes of forward-curving setae or spines on lower surfaces. 

 Antenna 2 with prominent gland-cone; third joint short; fourth joint 

 shorter than fifth; fifth joint narrower than fourth; both fourth and 

 fifth joints bearing groups of short setae on upper margin and longer 

 setae on lower margin; flagellum composed of many short joints. 



Mandible short, stout, without molar or spine-row; cutting-edge 

 chitinous, very broad, without teeth; right mandible without accessory 

 plate, but left with broad plate edged distally with low teeth; palp with 

 second joint twice as long as third. Maxilla 1, inner plate conical, 

 bearing group of terminal setae; outer plate broad, armed with row 

 of 16-17 stout, compoundly curved spine teeth, and brush of setae on 

 inner rounding corner (figs. lld,e)', palp with very broadly expanded 



