CRABS (BRACHYURA) OF THE GULF OF MEXICO

Crabs of the Gulf of Mexico 149
Jamaica; Hispaniola; Puerto Rico; Guadeloupe; Trinidad; Tobago; Guatamala
and Panama (Caribbean coasts) Venezuela to Sao Paulo, Brazil.
Habitat: deep mud an banks of streams and estuaries, among mangrove
swamps; burrows are often shaded by vegetation.
Remarks: Ecological studies include Gerlach (1958a) in Brazil Warner (1969)
in Jamaica, and Salmon (1967) in Florida. Crane (1957) described daily behavioral
displays and Barnwell (1963) reported on daily and tidal rhythms of
activity. Bott (1973) placed this species in his genus Planuca; Crane (1975)
designated the subgenus Boboruca. listed from Brazil by Coelho and Ramos
(1972).
Vca virens Salmon & Atsaides, 1968 (Proc. Biol. Soc. Washington 81: 281)
As v. pKgna.i;—Felder, 1973a, p. M.
As V. DiVens—Salmon & Atsaides, 1968b, p. 281, figs. 2-3, 5-7.
As V pugnax virens—Crane, 1975, p. 203, map 10.
As U. rapax—von Hagen, 1976, p. 224.
Range: Mississippi to Coatzacoalcos (central Gulf coast), Mexico.
Habitat: muddy sand, sand-mud, and mud substrates of salt marshes; algal
flats, close to bays, estuaries and inlets; often among marsh vegetation.
Remarks: Studies that have recorded "Uca pugnax" from the Gulf coast may
represent records of V. virens or V. longisignalis; the occasional presence of U.
rapax along the Texas and Mexico coasts is also possible. Salmon and Atsaides
(1968b) reported analyses of waving and acoustic signalling. Powers (1975)
and Powers and Cole (1976) provided some data on habitats of this crab in Texas.
See Uca pugnax and Uca longisignalis for a discussion of nomenclatural changes
in the pugnax-rapax species group.
Vca vocator (Herbst, 1804) (Versuch. Natur. Kxabben u. ICrebse, vol. 1. pi. 59,
fig- 1)
As U. morrfa.v—Rathbun, 1918, p. 391 (part), pi. 134, figs. 3-4.
As U. murifecenla—Crane, 1943b, p. 38, text-figs. Id-f, pi, 1, figs. 1-2.
As U. rocalor—Holthuis, 1959, p. 269, text-figs. 66-67, pi. 14, fig. 1, pi. 15, fig. 1;
Chace & Hobbs, 1969, p. 217, figs. 73g-j, 74; von Hagen, 1970a, p. 225; Crane, 1975,
p. 27, figs. 66D, 100, pi. 23E-G, pi. 24A-D, map 13.
Range: Tampico, Mexico; Belize to Guyana; Puerto Rico; Santo Domingo;
Guadeloupe; Dominica; Trinidad and Tobago; Paraiba to Pemambuco, Brazil;
? Santa Catarina, Brazil.
Habitat: grassy marshes; mud flats; flat banks of streams and rivers; in darnp
mud among mangroves.
Remarks: This species was presented by Rathbun (1918) with U. mordax.
Ecological data includes studies by Crane (1943b) in Venezuela, by Holthuis
(1959) in Surinam, by Chace and Hobbs (1969) in Dominica, and by von Hagen
(1970a, 1970c), who also commented on sound production and other aspects
of behavior. The only record for this species from the Gulf of Mexico is that
listed by Crane (1975) for Tampico, Mexico. Listed from Brazil by Coelho and
Ramos (1972) for Paraiba and Pemambuco, but Crane (1975) questions the
record from Santa Catarina.