Metacarcinus gracilis (Dana, 1852)

Wicksten, Mary K., 2012, Decapod Crustacea of the Californian and Oregonian Zoogeographic Provinces 3371, Zootaxa 3371, pp. 1-307 : 231

Metacarcinus gracilis (Dana, 1852)

( Fig. 54E, F; Pl. 13G)

Cancer gracilis Dana, 1852: 73 . — Holmes 1900: 52. — Rathbun 1904: 177; 1930: 219, pl. 95, text fig. 34. — Weymouth 1910: 42, pl. 9, figs. 26–28. — Schmitt 1921: 232, pl. 35, fig. 2. — Johnson & Snook 1927: 381, fig. 336. — Phillips 1939: 23, fig. 17. — Nations 1975: 34, figs. 17C, D, 18C, D, 36-1, 36-2. — Word & Charwat 1975: 48.— Garth & Abbott 1980: 604, fig. 25.18. — Wicksten 1980c: 360. — Hart 1982: 214, fig. 88. — Ricketts et al. 1985: 543. — Jensen 1995: 28, fig. 34. — Kuris et al. 2007: 642.

Metacarcinus gracilis . — Schweitzer & Feldmann 2000: 235.

Diagnosis. Carapace strongly convex, front not produced, with 3 median teeth. Anterolateral teeth of carapace low, not pointed, carapace granulated, widest at tooth 9; small anterolateral tooth 10. Merus of third maxillipeds elongated, rounded anteriorly. Carpus of cheliped with 2 teeth, one above at distal angle, second below it. Palm with rows of minute spinules, movable finger roughened dorsally but without large teeth. Pereopods 2–5 slender, dactyls elongated. Carapace length 27.3 mm.

Color in life. Carapace brownish to gray, lower surface, much of legs yellowish; purple marks on pereopods 2, 3. Apices of chelae white. The color notes are from crabs from Cabrillo Beach, Los Angeles County; and Princeton Harbor, San Mateo County; California.

Habitat and depth. Mud flats, sandy beaches and offshore areas, eel grass beds, intertidal zone to 174 m.

Range. Prince William Sound , Alaska to Playa Maria Bay, Baja California, Mexico. Type locality San Francisco, California .

Remarks. Megalops larvae and juveniles of this crab have been found on large medusae.