Cycloxanthops novemdentatus (Lockington, 1877)

Wicksten, Mary K., 2012, Decapod Crustacea of the Californian and Oregonian Zoogeographic Provinces 3371, Zootaxa 3371, pp. 1-307 : 243

Cycloxanthops novemdentatus (Lockington, 1877)

(Pl. 14C)

Xanthodes ? novem -dentatus Lockington, 1877a: 32.

Cycloxanthops rugosa Holmes, 1900: 59 .

Cycloxanthops rugosus . — Rathbun 1904: 180. — Schmitt 1921: 240.

Cycloxanthops novemdentatus . — Holmes 1900: 56, pl. 1, fig. 2. — Rathbun 1904: 180, pl. 7, fig. 10; 1930: 292, pl. 134, fig. 1; pl. 135, figs. 2, 3, text fig. 46 (extensive synonymy). — Weymouth 1910: 50, pl. 12, fig. 36. — Schmitt 1921: 239, pl. 37, fig. 7, text fig. 142. — Johnson & Snook 1927: 386, fig. 340. — Garth & Abbott 1980: 608, fig. 25.23. — Ricketts et al. 1985: 172, fig. 141. — Jensen 1995: 18, fig. 6. — Kuris et al. 2007: 642.

Diagnosis. Carapace broad, slightly convex, somewhat roughened toward anterior; front with deep, closed median notch (more evident in smaller individuals), anterolateral margin with 8–9 teeth besides postorbital tooth. Merus of third maxillipeds obliquely truncate at anterior end. Carpus of chelipeds roughened, with 2 blunt teeth at anterointernal angle; hand roughened above, upper, lower margins nearly parallel; fingers long, grooved; not gaping. Pereopods 2–5 with setose margins, dactyls longer than propodi. Carapace length 23.9 mm.

Color in life. Brown, purple or red, rarely white; fingers of chelipeds black, teeth along inner chela margins white ( Jensen 1995).

Habitat and depth. Tide pools, rocks, among sea grasses or tube mollusks, low intertidal zone to 73 m.

Range. Monterey Bay , California to Magdalena Bay, Baja California . Type locality San Diego , California .

Remarks. This is the largest xanthoid crab of California, and the most likely to be confused with a species of the Cancridae .