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 algae. 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 Maine to Florida. A second species, L. dubia, 

 closely resembles the above, but its range is more to the north. 



Lambrus Pourtalesii, (Say), or Long-armed Spider Crab, has a thick 

 roughly spined, almost pear-shaped i Yz 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 saltwater 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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