1921 ] Schmitt: The Marine Decapod Crustacea of California 235 



Genus Telmessus White 



Carapace broader than long, more or less pentagonal; front divided into three 

 lobes; median lobe cut into four teeth or denticles, lateral lobes forming the 

 inner angles of the eyes. Chelipeds short, ambulatory legs moderately long. 



Telmessus cheiragonus (Tilesius) 



Cancer cheiragonus Tilesius, Mem. Acad. Imper. Sci. St. Petersb., 5, 347, 



pi. 7, fig. 1, 1815. 

 Telmessus cheiragonus Benedict, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., 15, 224, pis. 25, 26, 



figs. 2-4, 1892; Holmes (mis-spelled Telemessus), Occas. Papers Calif. 



Acad. Sci., 7, 69, 1900; Eathbun, H. A. E., 10, 179, 1904; Way, Puget 



Sd. Mar. Sta. Pub!., 1, 363, fig. 17, 1917. 



Fig. 139. Telmessus cheiragonus (from Benedict, U. S. N. M.). 



Characters. — Carapace deeply areolated; teeth or denticles of median lobe 

 of front often wanting in old worn specimens; lateral lobes triangular, forming 

 the inner angles of the eyes; lateral teeth of carapace triangular, six in number, 

 including the angles of the eyes, anterior three with two denticles on anterior 

 margin, points of teeth bent forward and on a line with the denticles ; the fourth 

 tooth forms the lateral angle of the carapace and has four denticles on the anterior 

 margin, one close to the point of the tooth, then a space followed by three denticles 

 evenly placed ; posterior teeth without denticles ; surface of carapace set with large 

 granules, forming lines in the posterior region; from these granules arise numerous 

 bristles of even length, which bend forward and are enlarged at the points. 



Dimensions. — Length of carapace 50 mm., width 64 mm. (Holmes). A large 

 specimen measures: length of carapace 83 mm., width 102 mm. (Benedict). 



Color. — Varying from a yellow-brown to dark red; the propodi, dactyls, and 

 some portions of the carapace show the red distinctly (Way). 



Type Locality. — Avacha Bay, Kamchatka. 



Distribution. — Northeastern Siberia; Kamchatka; Kurile Islands'; Bering Sea 

 to California (Holmes). Low water to 20 fathoms (Rathbun). 



