Epialtoides hiltoni ( Rathbun, 1923 )

Wicksten, Mary K., 2012, Decapod Crustacea of the Californian and Oregonian Zoogeographic Provinces 3371, Zootaxa 3371, pp. 1-307 : 208

Epialtoides hiltoni ( Rathbun, 1923)

( Fig. 49A, B)

Epialtus bituberculatus Rathbun, 1894: 67 (part). — Schmitt 1921: 203 (not text fig. 126). [Not Epialtus bituberculatus Milne-

Edwards, 1834, western Atlantic species]. Epialtus hiltoni Rathbun, 1923: 72 ; 1925: 156, pl. 46, figs. 1 2; text figs. 53 m, n. Epialtoides hiltoni . — Garth 1958: 234, pl. O, fig. 7; pl. 26, fig. 33. — Garth & Abbott 1980: 597, fig. 25.2. — Jensen 1995: 25, fig.

25.—Hendrickx 1999: 93, fig. 53.

Diagnosis. Rostrum oblong, apex bilobed; deeply emarginate in young animals. Carapace high in median region, lateral wings broad, ascending, anterior lobe larger, intervening sinus deep. Posterior margin of hepatic lobe convex. Preorbital tooth outstanding, postorbital tooth inconspicuous. Male chelipeds of moderate size, merus bluntly angled, carpus, manus with subacute outer carina, tubercle on upper surface of carpus, outer margin of fingers with carina, large tooth on dactyl within narrow gape. Female with less massive cheliped, merus, manus foreshortened. Pereopods 2–5 rather stout, 2 tubercles on lower margin of merus of first leg, dactyls with spinules. Male, female with 5 free abdominal segments. Male carapace length 17.3 mm, width 15.7 mm; female 10.7 mm, width 9.6 mm.

Color in life. Camouflaged like brown algae; brown, olive, mottled with dark brown or cream. The color notes are from crabs from Santa Catalina I.

Habitat and depth. Among low-growing algae, in kelp holdfasts of among surf grasses ( Phyllospadix spp. ), intertidal zone to 5 m.

Range. Santa Catalina I. , California to Magdalena Bay, Baja California . Type locality Laguna Beach, California .

Remarks. Epialtoides hiltoni may attach bits of algae to its rostrum. This crab may be abundant, but its small size and cryptic coloration render it inconspicuous.