196 University of California Publications in Zoology [Vol. 23 



curved setae above. No supraocular tooth or spine; the area between the two pro- 

 jecting rims of the orbits is concave; there is no tooth at the posterior margin of 

 orbit, but there may be a small one a short distance behind it. Basal joint of 

 antennae with a longitudinal ridge on its posterior half or two-thirds with a 

 groove on either side. Chelipeds of male robust; hand oblong, incurved, palm 

 inflated, fingers shorter than the palm, gaping at base and meeting along distal 

 half or two-thirds of their length; chelipeds of female are smaller and more 

 slender; hands subcylindrical, fingers nearly straight. 



Dimensions. — Type, male: length 19.1 mm., width 8.4 mm. 



Type Locality. — San Diego, California. 



Distribution. — From Monterey Bay, California, to Gulf of California. Re- 

 corded from 8 to 47 fathoms, and perhaps occurs in shallower water (Bathbun). 



Remarks. — This species was fairly common among the masses of red seaweed 

 dredged from a depth of 10-20 fathoms. They are marked with reddish brown, 

 but are always so covered over with decorative fragments of seaweed that even 

 their form is almost indistinguishable. In the aquarium these creatures were 

 very interesting. Their principal occupation was that of decorating themselves. 

 Seizing a fragment near one end, that end was thrust into the mouth and chewed 

 for some time, then transferred to some part of the carapace or legs, and by means 

 of a peculiar and oft repeated twisting movement of the head [hand?] it was so 

 firmly fastened that it would under almost all circumstances remain in the position 

 in which it had been placed. The chewing led us to suspect a cementing element in 

 the saliva, but on examination of the carapace it was found that each piece of 

 seaweed was impaled on several of the stiff recurved hairs which occur in clumps 

 over the carapace and legs (Nininger). 



Genus Anasimus Milne Edwards 



Carapace pyrif orm, convex, regions well defined : rostrum simple, slender ; post- 

 orbital and supraorbital spine present. Basal article of antennae long and narrow, 

 with spine at distal end. Abdomen and sternum granulate. Ambulatory legs 

 very slender, decreasing more or less in length from first to fourth pairs, about 

 twice, or more than twice, the length of the carapace; dactyls long. 



Anasimus spinosus (Rathbun) 



Erileptus spinosus Bathbun, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., 16, 227, 1893; Holmes, 

 Occas. Papers Calif. Acad. Sci., 7, 21, 1900; Bathbun, H. A. E., 10, 

 171, pi. 10, fig. 1, 1904; Weymouth, Stanford Univ. Publ., Univ. Ser., 

 no. 4, p. 27, pi. 3, fig. 7, 1910. 

 Anasimus rostratus Bathbun, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., 16, 226, 1893; H. A. 

 E., 10, 171, pi. 10, fig. 4, 1904. 

 Characters. — Carapace spinous; two spines on the median line, one on posterior 

 part of gastric region, the other on cardiac ; there are two spines on each branchial 

 region and one on each protogastric region; lateral margins spinulous; rostrum 

 slender, spinulous on margin; supraorbital spine prominent; postorbital spine in 

 male small and at some distance from the eye, in female prominent and close to 

 eye, defining the orbit. Chelipeds of male long and slender, about three times 

 as long as carapace; hand slender, slightly flattened vertically, increasing in width 

 toward distal end ; fingers arched, gaping for one-half their length ; dactyl about 

 one-fourth total length of hand. Chelipeds of female weak, about one and one- 

 half times as long as carapace; hands granulous; fingers nearly as long as palm 

 (about one-half total length of hand), not gaping, in contact. 



