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CRABS (BRACHYURA) OF THE GULF OF MEXICO

CRABS (BRACHYURA) OF THE GULF OF MEXICO

CRABS (BRACHYURA) OF THE GULF OF MEXICO

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Crabs of the Gulf of Mexico 95<br />

Habitat: coral sand, sand-grass, rocky, and sticky mud bottoms.<br />

Remarks: Rathbun (1930) noted the resemblance between this species and<br />

H. sinaloensis, a rare species from the west coast of Mexico. Abele (1970) provided<br />

the first Gulf records and noted a close resemblance to H. paulensis. Abele<br />

(1970) states that Fenner Chace, Jr., of the U.S.N.M. compared the Floridian<br />

specimens with the Puerto Rico holotj-pe and noted the differences between<br />

them. The paucity of specimens of these three similar forms only permits a<br />

tentative designation of this crab; until further material and revision is available,<br />

this list follows the nomenclature of Abele (1970, p. 78).<br />

Leptodius A. Milne Edwards, 1863<br />

Leptodius agassizzi A. Milne Edwards, 1880.<br />

Transferred to a new genus by Guinot (1968a), see Pseudomedaeus agassizii.<br />

Leptodius floridanus (Gibbes, 1850).<br />

Transferred to a new genus by Guinot (1968a), see Cataleptodius floridanus.<br />

Leptodius parvulus (Fabricius, 1793) (Entom. Syst. Auct. et emend., vol. 2, p.<br />

451) novo comb. Rathbun, 1930 (Bull. U.S. Nat. Mus. 152:305) V ^^'^^'''"'•^ a-<br />

Rathbun, 1930, p. 303, pi. 141, figs. 1-3; Rathbun, 1933, p. 38, fig. 30. '<br />

Range: Bermuda; Bahamas; Florida Keys; Jamaica; Haiti; Puerto Rico; Barbados;<br />

Curagao; Fernando deNoronha, Brazil.<br />

Habitat: shallow water, near shore; under rocks; in tide pools.<br />

Remarks: Fausto Filho (1974) provided notes on color and habitat of Brazilian<br />

specimens.<br />

Lobopilumnus A. Milne Edwards, 1880<br />

Lobopilumnus agas.'sisii (Stimpson, 1871) (Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool. 2: 142)<br />

Hay & Shore, 1918, p. 441, pi. 34, fig. 3; Rathbun, 1930, p. 526, pi. 211, figs. 1-5;<br />

Williams, 1965, p. 181, figs. 157G, 163.<br />

Range: Bermuda; North Carolina; Florida Keys and Dry Tortugas; west and<br />

northwest coasts of Florida; north of Yucatan; north coast of Cuba; Trinidad.<br />

Depth: low tide mark to 51 m (to 28 fm).<br />

Habitat: sand, gravel, rock, coral, and broken shell substrates; under stones<br />

and dead corals; in sponges.<br />

Remarks: Four environmental forms of this highly variable crab were recognized<br />

by Rathbun (1930): L. a. typica, L. a. bermudensis, L. a. pulchella, and<br />

L. a. trinidadensis. The distributions of the various forms overlap to some extent.<br />

Verrill (1908) described this species in Bermiida. Reported from the northeast<br />

Gulf by Chace (1956) and listed from northwest Florida by Abele (1970).<br />

Ovigerous females are known from Florida and Cuba during February to July<br />

(Williams, 1965). Pearse (1934) noted the presence of this crab inside the<br />

loggerhead sponge, Spheciospongia vesparia.

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