Betaeus gracilis Hart, 1964

Wicksten, Mary K., 2012, Decapod Crustacea of the Californian and Oregonian Zoogeographic Provinces 3371, Zootaxa 3371, pp. 1-307 : 63-64

Betaeus gracilis Hart, 1964

( Fig. 16 H–J)

Betaeus gracilis Hart, 1964: 453 , figs. 50–51, 56, 65–67, 77–78. — Word & Charwat 1976 b: 49. — Chace & Abbott 1980: 569. — Wicksten 1984a: 188.

Diagnosis. Front of carapace depressed, deeply indented medially, covering eye with two hoods. Stylocerite reaching nearly to end of second segment of antennular peduncle. Scaphocerite broad, with stout lateral tooth exceeding blade, separated from it for distal third of its length; reaching almost to end of third segment of antennular peduncle. Anterior margin of carapace evenly curved. Chela of pereopod 1 with palm longer than fingers, little gape between fingers. Carpus of pereopod 2 with 5 articles, article 1 longest. Pereopod 3 stout, merus slightly dilated, with movable spine, dactyl narrow, bifid. Pereopods 4, 5 similar to pereopod 3 but smaller. Pleura of abdominal somites 1–3 rounded, those of 4, 5 bluntly square. Telson with 2 pairs dorsal spines, well developed posterolateral spines, posterior margin curved. Total length about 25 mm.

Color in life. Pale olive-green.

Habitat and depth. Kelp holdfasts, intertidal to shallow subtidal areas.

Range. Monterey Bay to Laguna Beach , California. Type locality Laguna Beach .