CRABS (BRACHYURA) OF THE GULF OF MEXICO

Crabs of the Gulf of Mexico 143
Vca leplodaclyla Rathbun, 1898 (Ann. New York, Acad. Sci. 11: 227)
Rathbun, 1918, p. 420, pi. 156; Maccagno, 1928, p. 41 (part), not text-fig. 25;
Rathbun, 1933, p. 98; de Oliviera, 1939a, p. 126, pi. 5, text-figs. 25-28, pi. 6, fig.
29, pi. 8, fig. 47, pi. 13, figs. 61-62; Chace & Hobbs, 1969, p. 212, figs, 71g-h; von
Hagen, 1970a, p. 227; Crane, 1975, p. 304, text-figs. 37M, 56F, 60N-O, 69K-L, 101,
map 17, pi. 41A-D.
Range: Bahamas; west coast of Florida (not recently); east coast of Yucatan;
north coast of Cuba; Jamaica; Puerto Rico; St. Croix; Curasao; Venezuela to
Santa Catarina, Brazil.
Habitat: relatively sandy tidal flats of marine waters; sometimes at supratidal
levels, where burrows are covered only by spring tides; occasionally in mud or
claj' substrates, in partial shade of mangrove trees.
Remarks: Behavioral studies include Matthews (1930), Crane (1957), and
Gerlach (1958b). Ecological data were provided by Matthews (1930), de Oliviera
(1939a, 1939b, 1939c), and Crane (1957). Bott (1973) lists this species under
his genus Leptuca; Crane (1975) lists it under her subgenus Celuca. Listed from
Brazil by Coelho (1971a) and Coelho and Ramos (1972).
Vca longisignalis Salmon & Atsaides, 1968 (Proc. Biol. Soc. Washington 81:
279)
As U. pugnax rapax—Rathbun, 1918, p. 397 (part), not. pi. 140.
As U. longisignalis—Salmon & Atsaides, 1968b, p. 279, text-figs. 1-4, 6, 7.
As U. rapax longisignalis—Crane, 1975, p. 190, map 14.
Range: northwest Florida to south Texas.
Habitat: similar to that of U. rapax; often on exposed salt flats and algal beds;
among marsh vegetation; substrates of mud, mud-sand, and sand-mud.
Remarks: Felder (1973a) comments on the distribution of U. pugnax, U.
virens and U. longisignalis and retains the name of U. pugnax for all forms in
the northwestern Gulf. Crane (1975) listed this form as a subspecies of U. rapax,
which until recently was a subspecies of U. pugnax. In a review of Crane's
(1975) monograph, von Hagen (1976) commented that an examination of Salmon's
holotypes left "no doubt that U. rapax longisignalis is a synonym of U.
minax (Le Conte)." The present list treats this crab as a separate species, mainly
on the basis of Salmon and Atsaides (1968b) evidence of behavioral separation
and on the lack of agreement among other authorities as to which subspecies or
species it is most closely allied with. Subrahmanyam et al. (1976) listed this
crab from northwest Florida and Powers (1975) noted its occurrence in Texas.
Included in the key to northwestern Gulf Uca by Fotheringham and Brunenmeister
(1975). Abele (1970) provided habitat notes on populations at Alligator
Harbor, Florida.
Vca minax (Le Conte, 1855) (Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia 7: 403)
Common Names: Red-Jointed Fiddler Crab; Brackish Water Fiddle Crab
Hay & Shore, 1918, p. 451, pi. 37, fig. 3; Rathbun, 1918, p. 389, pi. 137; Maccagno.
1928, p. 48, text-fig. 31; Crane, 1943a, p. 220, text-fig. lb; Williams, 1965, p. 227,
figs. 209A, 210B; Felder, 1973a, p. 85, pi. 12, fig. 12; Crane, 1975, p. 176, figs.
67D, 8IK, 100, pi. 25E-H, map 12.