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15<br />

joint nearly twice as long as the other 2 combined, in male considerably<br />

more elongated, and composed of 5 articulations successively diminishing in size,<br />

the outer 2 representing the flagellum. Chelipeds in female of moderate size,<br />

hand oval, with the ringers comparatively short, the thumb having, inside, 3 serra-<br />

tions, the dactylus a single tubercle; those in male of enormous size, carpus very<br />

large and produced in front, outside the hand, to a lamellar lobe, hand imper-<br />

fectly chelate, the thumb being transformed into a thin, reflexed lappet instricted<br />

at the base, dactylus long and falciform, with 3 small denticles inside. First<br />

pair of pereiopoda much larger than the others, the 3 posterior pairs more<br />

strongly built than the 2 preceding ones, with the basal joint rather tumid. Uro-<br />

poda about half the length of the nietasome, inner ramus 4-articulate, outer very<br />

small and biarticulate. Colour whitish. Length of adult female 2 mm.,<br />

about the same.<br />

of male<br />

Remarks. The very pronounced sexual difference occurring in the present<br />

form has caused it to be twice described under 2 different names. Kroyer de-<br />

scribed the female as Tanais Orstedi and the male as T. curculio, and some years<br />

afterwards Fr. Mliller, having apparently not been aware of Kroyer's description,<br />

recorded the same form under 2 different names, viz. : Tanais balthicus (the female)<br />

and T. rhynchites (the male). In this manner therefore, no less than 4 different<br />

names have been assigned to the same species. As Kroyer was the first to<br />

observe the species, one of his 2 specific names ought to be retained for the<br />

species, and more properly that by which the female was described. From the<br />

Mediterranean species, H. anomalus, the present form is easily distinguished by<br />

the very different aspect of the male.<br />

Occurrence. I have taken this form rather plentifully in the Iddefjord at<br />

Fredrikshald, wh^re it occurred on a muddy bottom at a depth<br />

of 3 6 fathoms.<br />

Male specimens were, as usual, far less frequent than female ones, of which<br />

numerous specimens, both young and adult, were collected. Some specimens<br />

of this form are moreover contained in our University Museum, having been<br />

taken by the late Dr. Boeck from piles of the quay<br />

at Christiansand.<br />

Distribution. Oresund (Kroyer), Baltic at Landskrona and Westervik<br />

(Lilljeb.), Prussia at Greifswalde (Fr. Milller), Bohuslan (Lilljeb.).

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