152 ALLAN HANCOCK PACIFIC EXPEDITIONS VOL. 24 



projecting granules, those on outer margin arranged in an even longi- 

 tudinal row extending onto pollex ; near base of pollex a small tubercle, 

 covered w^ith similar granules; outer margin with a sharp, granulate 

 ridge; proximal half of surface with long, flexible, non-plumose setae, 

 somewhat more abundant than those of carpus; distal half, as well as 

 fingers, devoid of hairs. Fingers covered with flattened granules, 

 dactylus with a small conical tubercle at proximal end of cutting edge ; 

 gaping slightly in major cheliped, meeting entire length in minor chel- 

 iped, gape with a trace of pubescence. 



Walking legs slightly rugose ; all segments with short plumose hairs 

 and scattered, long, non-plumose setae. 



Abdomen smooth ; telson five-plated in females. Males unknown. 



Measurements: Holotype female: length about 3.8 mm. Because of 

 the soft-shelled condition of the carapace, measurements could not be 

 determined with accuracy. 



Ecology : The holotype was dredged at 20 fathoms from a rocky sub- 

 strate. Deep water is presumably the natural habitat of the species, as 

 is the case with its closest relatives, Pachycheles marcortezensis and 

 P. rugimanus. 



Relationships: Although not strictly analogous to either, Pachy- 

 cheles velerae is closely related to P. marcortezensis Glassell and to an 

 Atlantic species, P. rugimanus A. Milne Edwards, 1880. All three forms 

 have a somewhat projecting, trilobate front without a tuft and are pro- 

 vided with strong, narrow teeth on the anterior margin of the carpus. 

 All inhabit fairly deep water; P. marcortezensis is known to a depth of 

 45 fathoms, P. rugimanus to 79 fathoms. In P. marcortezensis both 

 carpus and manus are covered with small projecting granules, and in 

 P. rugimanus both have strong longitudinal ridges with rows of trans- 

 verse ridges between them ; in this respect the new species is inter- 

 mediate between the other two. P. rugimanus lacks the hairs on the 

 carapace and chelipeds which are characteristic of both P. marcortez- 

 ensis and P. velerae. The former two species have five plates in the 

 telson in both sexes; the same will probably prove to be true of the 

 new species. Male pleopods are present in P. rugimanus and lacking in 

 P. marcortezensis. 



Remarks: It is unfortunate that Pachycheles velerae is known from 

 a single female specimen, which is soft-shelled and probably undersized 

 as well. It is believed, however, that most of the descriptive characters 

 given here will prove to be valid when more material becomes avail- 



